GRAPES BY THE KNIFFIN SYSTEM. 225 



GRAPES BY THE KNIFFIN SYSTEM. 



As most vine growers are aware, this system consists in 

 training the vine upon and along the top wire of the trellis 

 instead of along the bottom wire, permitting the fruit and 

 growing canes to hang down instead of tying them upright, as 

 by the old plan. This method is meeting with great favor. — 

 Secretary. 



A8suinin<jf that most of you are fj;-rowin<;- grapes upon the four arm 

 system, let me say that we have chaa<*-ed our system so that 

 we use only the two upper arms, and grow all our grapes upon 

 these arms. Why have we changed, and what has been the result? 

 We observed that a much larger proportion of marketable grapes 

 grew upon the upper arms, and as it was marketable grapes that we 

 wanted we removed the lower arms. Now, in order to get the quan- 

 tity necessary we leave upon this single cane which constitutes the 

 arm upon each side of the main vine a greater number of buds, 

 which distributes the new growth over more surface, preventing the 

 overcrowding of the fruit upon the vine. We leave upon the two 

 arms twelve to fourteen buds each. 



The summer pruning consists in removing after the fruit is set 

 the dingers and seconds and afterward the laterals, and clipping 

 off the fruit bearing shoots at the third or fourth leaf beyond the 

 fruit, excepting one good shoot nearest the head of the vine which 

 is left for the fruit bearing cane for the next year. We also remove 

 the poor clusters and never leave more than three clusters, usually 

 but two, and sometimes only one upon a shoot. There will then re- 

 main upon the vine from thirty-live to forty clusters, and I think it 

 will pay to remove still more, not leaving over thirty clusters on the 

 vine, for if we can grow thirty clusters to weigh twenty pounds, I 

 believe they will sell for more money than forty clusters weighing 

 twenty-five pounds and less expense in marketing. 



I am after quality in preference to quantity. What are the indica- 

 tions of high (juality and where do we find it? Like the peach, the 

 rich bloom upon its surface is indicative of its qualitj', and j'ou find 

 this bloom most perfectly developed upon the largest and finest 

 clusters upon the vine. By the method of pruiung which I have in- 

 dicated, all clusters hang in their natural positions upon the vine in- 

 dependent of each other, are more compact in their structure and 

 better developed in their growth. There are other advantages that 

 aid in perfecting the fruit. These are the free circulation of the air 

 under the vines and fruit, the clean surface of the ground affording 

 no lodgment for sporadic or fungous growth, also the ease with 

 wl-.ich the vines may be sprayed, the rapidity with which the fruit 

 may be gathered and the ease and rapidity of the winter pruning. 

 — Fruit. 



Apple trees should be sprayed from a platform elevated six or 

 ight feet above the wagon. The object is to throw the spray down 

 on, rather than up under the foliage. 



