Thb Bulletin 



19 



Grape vines should be pnined in the fall or early winter, because there 

 is danger of loss of sap if the vines are pruned late in the winter or 

 just before sap begins to rise. 



There are two general systems of training grape vines, the upright 

 and the drooping systems. The drooping or Kniffin System is prob- 

 ably best for conditions in North Carolina. This system consists in 

 training the vine to a main stem with four arms on two wires, the 

 lower wire 3 feet from ground and the upper one 2Y2 f<^et above the 

 lower. The fruit is borne on shoots produced on canes coming from 

 two-year-old wood. 



£i « U^aTe/' 3/}rou^ 



Fig. 14. — Grape vine. First season's growth after planting. Main stem with four arms 

 in form of water sprouts, trained to two wires. In fall or winter prune the sprouts to spurs 

 of two nodes long as indicated by dotted lines. 



Pruning the First Year After Planting. 



The grape vine ought to produce a main stem and four arms in the 

 form of water sprouts the first season. These sprouts are cut back to 

 short spurs two joints or nodes in length. If more than four sprouts 

 are produced, they should be cut off close to the main stem, leaving 

 only four close to the wires. (See Fig. 14.) 





Fio. 15. — Grape vine. Second season's growth after planting consists of fruiting canes 

 for next year, and water sprouts on main stem. Notice the fruiting canes arc more zigzag 

 and have shorter nodes or joints than the water sprouts. Prune the sprouts to spurs two 

 nodes long, as indicated by dotted lines. Cut the ends of the canes to a desired length. 



The second year after planting (See Fig 15) the grape vine will 

 make fruiting canes from the spurs left last season. Only one cane 

 should be left on each spur. The main stem will also produce a num- 



