GRAPES. 55 



to be considered in the process is to get fruit; if you do not get 

 fruit the whole thing is a failure. By following up a system 

 of summer pinching you can prune a great deal closer and 

 thus keep your vines in nice shape to handle. On the Dela- 

 ware it is not necessary to pinch so close, but on other varie- 

 ties, like the Concord and Rogers, you must do a great deal of 

 pinching. When the lateral has grown out three or four 

 inches, you want to pinch it off; and when it starts you must 

 break it off again, and in that way you get nice large bunches 

 of fruit. If you are after monsters, you can follow Prof 

 Green's advice and girdle. 



Dr. Frisselle: I think the question asked considered the 

 different methods of training. 



Mr. Harris: My opinion is that the best system of training 

 the grape for the farmer in Minnesota is the single arm and 

 short spur; and I would plan to keep one spur close to the base 

 and raise one cane from that every year, for after a while 

 these spurs lose their vitality and fruitfulness, and by having 

 a safety valve in the way of this branch at the base of the vine 

 you never lose a full crop of fruit; you only lose a partial crop, 

 and the rest it gets that year will recruit the vine so it will be 

 good for many years longer. 



Mr. Brackett: How many buds do you leave at the fall 

 pruning? 



Mr. Latham: Two or three. You cannot keep these spurs 

 at regular distances; I try to keep them eight or ten inches 

 apart. On the Concord and Rogers I leave one or two long 

 canes on the vine. 



Dr. Frisselle: I would like to say one word on this matter 

 of grape culture. I have had a little experience with the 

 Delaware vines, and I have heard nothing said today in regard 

 to the distance apart the vines should be planted in the row. 

 Mine are planted about eight feet apart in the row, and I 

 believe that is too far apart. I think it would be better to 

 plant more vines and to plant them nearer, because there is 

 a tendency to leave a little piece of the vine entirely bare of 

 buds, and you have fruit at one end or both ends and a space 

 in the middle where there is no fruit at all. I think it would 

 be well to plant the vines five feet apart, then you certainly 

 will not have such a long piece of cane without any spurs bear- 

 ing fruit. Plant five feet apart, and I think we would secure 

 better^results. If I was planting another Delaware vineyard 

 I would plajit the vines five feet apart. 



