THE GRAPE 231 
wood from which the bearing spurs will arise. The 
main reasons for pruning are, first, to reduce the 
bearing area, and, second, to head back the growth 
into those shoots or bunches where we desire the 
greatest amount of energy and food material. 
The details of reducing the bearing surface are 
identical with those for indoor grape culture 
given in an earlier part of this chapter. 
We occasionally come across old grape vines 
straggling over out-buildings, fences, or trellises, 
beautiful to look at and gracious in the shade 
they offer, but practically worthless as fruit 
producers. If we desire them to fulfil this latter 
mission at the expense of some of the beauty and 
the shade, they can be pruned back to a state of 
activity. Do not be afraid of injuring the vines. 
Cut them back one half, three quarters, or even 
right to the surface of the ground, depending 
on the degree to which you want to make them 
produce returns. Do this any time through the 
winter or in the spring, before the buds start. 
After this pruning, new shoots will start forth 
which you should let develop to a convenient 
length before pinching them back. You may 
let a few laterals grow to make a well-balanced 
vine. This first year there will be no fruit, 
but the following spring the shoots that you have 
