54 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [Jan. 2, 1920. 



which the sap must travel and by the fact that its flow is more or less 

 impeded by accumulations of scars created by pruning. It Avill always be 

 found that the best results in quality of fruit will be secured when the wood 

 producing it is vigorous and situated fairly close to the main branches. Apart 

 from other objections, long secondary arms destroy the general symmetry of 

 the vine and are more likely to be broken by teams during cultivation. 



As a general rule, it will be found that the more fertile the soil, and given 

 fair treatment, the longer will the secondary arms retain their vigour. It is 

 not wise to unnecessarily interfere with the more permanent portions of the 

 vine, and, so long as they retain their vigour and do not hamper cultural 

 operations, there is little occasion to shorten back. It should be remembered 

 that large scars, such as those induced by removal of arms, are best avoided 

 as they ma}'^ lead to troubles, such as dry rot and its other attendant evils, 

 white ants, borers, &,c. Under ordinary vineyard conditions, however, there 

 comes a time when the vigour of the fruiting wood diminishes, either by 

 undue multiplication of the secondary arms or by the interruption of sap-flow, 

 already referred to. Oftentimes, old vines which appear almost beyond 

 recovery may be renewed by timely treatment. In the first place, if there is 

 obvious overcrowding of arms, the removal of a proportion will result in 

 renewed vigour for the remainder. Such a course of treatment has another 

 advantage in the fact that removal of a number of worn-out secondary arms 

 will most likely give rise to the development of numerous water shoots at or about 

 the points of removal. These will supply the best possible means of renewal. 



In all cases where old vines are carrying long secondary arms, it will be 

 found that strong water shoots arise from time to time at some points on their 

 length. Having in view the fact that water shoots are not fruit-bearing, the 

 long arm is not suppressed right away unless the terminal growth is so weak 

 as to be quite useless for fruit-bearing in the following season. 



The plan adopted is to cut the water shoot back to one bud, with a view 

 to securing one strong cane in the following year. At the next pruning this 

 cane will be carrying fruit-bearing buds, so that the old arm can safely be 

 cut ofl", leaving a strong spur as the base of the new arm. In rod pruned 

 varieties, where it is desired to replace a rod and spur, two buds will be left 

 on the water shoot instead of one, in order to secure the two canes for 

 re-forming. At the next pruning, the old arm can be cut away and a new 

 spur and rod created from the two strong canes. (See Fig. 7.) One point 

 which is too often neglected in renewal of arms is the smoothing over of the 

 saw sections created by their removal. A rough section, as left by a saw, 

 will not heal over, whereas if the surface is subsequently smoothed with a 

 knife or secateurs, there is much more chance of its being absorbed by the 

 developing tissue. 



The vine responds to sympathetic treatment, and is not something which 

 may be indiscriminately hacked about. In dealing with fully-formed and old 

 vines, the experienced pruner, who should know the why and wherefore of 

 his operations, looks two years ahead, assuring not only provision for the 

 next crop, but renewal of worn-out wood in the seasons to come. 



