15 Oct., 1919.] Re-pruning Vinea Damaged by Frost, i&c. 609 



Fig. 1 illustrates the method of re-pruning as practised on short- 

 pruned vines. The treatment recommended, viz. : the radical suppres- 

 sion flush with the cane which hears it of every damaged shoot, applies 

 equally to long-pruned vines, for which it is particularly well suited, 

 for the reason that on the rods characteristic of long pruning the 

 terminal eyes usually sprout first. After the occurrence of frost a 

 good many eyes nearer the base of the rod have not started at all. The 

 radical suppression of the damaged shoots causes many buds which 

 would otherwise not have grown, to send out fruitful shoots, and this 

 in addition to the latent buds described above. 



Frost injury does not always occur exactly as shown in Fig. 1. 

 Though this is the most usual form, there may be many variations accord- 

 ing to the date and intensity of the visitation, and also to the number 

 of frosts (one or more). A few typical cases may be briefly outlined 

 for each of which some variation in treatment is advisable: — 



(i) A frost occurring a good deal earlier — when the vines have 

 just sprouted and the young shoots are an inch or less 

 in length. Though this is, perhaps, the most susceptible 

 period, remedial steps are considerably simplified. A 

 severe frost at this stage destroys all growth so com- 

 pletely that intervention by the vigneron is needless. 

 Sprouting of the latent buds is promoted automatically, 

 and a supplementary or second crop is assured in the case 

 of vines which yield fruit on secondary shoots. New 

 shoots are, however, seiit out in excessive number, and 

 careful disbudding is necessary to reduce them and to 

 suppress those which are sterile. 

 Cii) An early frost of medium severity. — The sprouting buds are 

 damaged, but not altogether destroyed. Close observa- 

 tion is necessary to ascertain the real extent of damage. 

 It must be remembered that shoots partially injured by 

 frost, even though in appearance fairly sound, usually 

 start a spindly, unsatisfactory growth. They seldom 

 result in strong, fruitful canes. Radical suppression of 

 all injured sprouts will generally be found the best policy, 

 (ill) Frost injury, as illustrated in Fig. 1 — the most usual case- 

 Treatment fully described above, 

 (iv) Injury less severe than (iii) — a certain proportion of the 

 embryo bunches appear to be more or less intact. fhe 

 best treatment is often puzzling. Such partially- 

 damaged bunches nearly always develop in a disappointing 

 manner, the injury being almost invariably more severe 

 than at first estimated. Treatment as for (iii) is usually 

 best. If, as sometimes happens, a few strong shoots show- 

 ing fruit are quite undamaged, the rest of the vine being 

 scorched, these shoots may be allowed to remain, but they 

 must be severely stopped so as to divert the sap into the 

 latent buds, 

 (v) A frost such as (iii), followed by a second frost a week or 

 two later, by which time the latent eyes have sprouted. 

 This is a hopeless case, and little of a remedial nature is 

 possible, since there are no more latent buds from which 

 fruit can be expected ; tertiary buds only are available and 

 14660.— 2 



