TllK MONTIll.N' lULKKTIN. 529 



THE HORIZONTAL CORDONS. 



Ill the system known as horizontal cordons, tln' vines are treated the 

 Hrst two or tliree ycai's exactly as foi" the vei'tical eoi-don. that is. each 

 winter th(\\' are pi'uned l)ack to two huds, and growth is forced, 1)\ 

 dishndding into a single cane dnring tlie snnnner. As siicn as a 

 well-i-ipened cane of the jengtli reqnired is obtained, the author states, 

 it is tied to a wii-e stretclicd horizontally along the row at from fifteen to 

 twent\-four inches from the gi-ound. If the vini's are i)runed in thi- 

 manner the rows should be twelve to fourteen feet apart, and the 

 vines six to eight feet apart in the rows. As the trnid\ or cordon of 

 each vine should reach the next vine, its length will l»e fi'om six to 

 eight feet. The best shape for this system of i)r'uning is obtained when 

 the trunk is formed in one year from a single cane. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, it will be necessary to take two years for the formation of this 

 trunk. In evei'y case, however, the can(> first tied down should reach at 

 least half way to the next vine. The following year the new cane from 

 the end of this should be used to complete the fidl length of the trunk. 

 Care must be taken in attaching the cane to the wii-e to bend it over in 

 a gentle curve. Shai'p Ix'iids should be avoided. The cane should be 

 placed on the top of the wire, t)u1 should not be twist<'d around it, and 

 the end tied firndy. the rest of the cane being .supi)orted by strings tied 

 loosely, in order to avoid girdlinu'. The following spring most of the 

 buds on a good caiu' will stai't. Some of the shoots should be removed, if 

 the cane is short-joinlcd, and only those .shoots left which are C(mven- 

 iently situated for the permanent arms. For short i)runing, arms .should 

 be developed from every eight to twelve inches from a few inches beyond 

 the bend to the extreme end. For long pruning the arms should be 

 from twelve to twenty inclies apart. Shoots starting from the top of 

 the canes and gi'owing vertically are to be |)referred. The strongest 

 shoots should be pinched back continually during the growing seascn. 

 because the weak(>r shoots will be forced. At Ihe end of the season 

 there shoidd be from five to ten canes on each cordon of full length. 

 These canes are then pruned back to two or three buds, or a little longei- 

 for half-long pruned varieties. 



VARIETY PRUNING. 



The author further states that in choosing any of the .systems 

 for pruning the characteristics of the particular variety which the 

 orchardist is gi-owing nnist be considered cai-efully. A variety which 

 bears only on the upjiei- buds nnist be pruned long. In general, grafted 

 vines require shorter pruning than ungrafted. A list of varieties 

 which require long pruning under all conditions, varieties which 

 usually require long pruning, varieties which usually requii'c short 

 pruning, varieties which recpiire short pruninu' under all conditions, 

 and varieties of table grapes Avhich usually reijuire half-long or cordon 

 pruning, is given in tliis bulletin. — E. J. V, 



