166 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



very simple. It consists simply in cutting back the single cane 

 which has been allowed to grow to the height at which it is 

 desired to head the vine. 



The vine so pruned consists of a single cane w^hich with the 

 older wood at the base reaches nearly to the top of the stake, 

 or fifteen inches. This if properly treated will develop into a 

 vine with a trunk of about twelve inches, though this length 

 can be modified slightly, as will be explained later. 



This cane consists of about seven or eight joints or internodes, 

 with an equal number of well-formed eyes and an indefinite 

 number of dormant buds, principally near the base of the cane 

 or junction of the one- and two-year-old wood. Only the buds 

 on the upper half of this cane will be allowed to grow. These 

 buds — about four — should give six to eight bunches of 

 grapes and four, six, or eight shoots from which to form the 

 spurs at the following winter pruning. 



With a vine which has been cut back to form a high head, 

 the cane is about twenty-four inches long and can be used to 

 form a trunk eighteen inches high, though this height can be 

 modified as in the last case. As with the shorter cane, only 

 the buds on the upper half will be allowed to produce shoots. 

 These — about six ^^ should give ten to twelve bunches and 

 the shoots necessary for the formation of spurs. 



In all cases a full internode has been left above the top bud. 

 This is done by cutting through the first bud above the high- 

 est which it is desired to have grow. This cut is made in such 

 a way as to destroy the bud but to leave the diaphragm intact 

 and part of the swelling of the node. This upper internode is 

 left partly to protect the upper bud, but principally to facilitate 

 tying. By makiug a half-hitch around this iuternode, the vine 

 is held very firmly. If the swelling at the node of the destroyed 

 bud is not left, many vines will be pulled out of the hitch when 

 they become heavy with leaves and supple with the flow of 

 sap in the spring. 



