456 ANNUAL KEPOKT 



PRUNED HEADY TO COVER. 



A vine that has been set only one season will consist of one 

 cane from two to four feet in length, which should be cut back 

 in the fall to about one foot, leaving about three joints above 

 the surface of the grouud. The second year but two canes 

 should be allowedtogrow from these buds, and again in autumn 

 these should be shortened each about to eighteen inches, if they 

 are vigorous, but if not they should be cut back close to the old 

 wood and more new canes started the third year. Even the 

 third year it is best to cut back well and allow little or no fruit 

 to be grown until the fourth season, when a good foundation of 

 roots has been secured. The productiveness of a vineyard 

 depends more upon the amount of vigorous roots to the vines 

 than anything else. When the vines have become well established, 

 the pruning thereafter is done in a manner to. secure the most 

 fruit at the least expense of vigor to the growing plant. Taking 

 it year after year close pruning will secure the largest quantity 

 of fruit, and at the same time the highest quality. Old vines 

 should be left to grow from four to six feet of old wood, and the 

 laterals on this stem should be trimmed leaving only one or two 

 vigorous buds on each one to produce the bearing shoots for the 

 next year. 



The training should be done on horizontal poles or wires, and 

 the main stalks given an incline of about 45° so that 

 bending down will be made easy when the time comes for cover- 

 ing. In a vineyard of considerable size the work of covering is 

 made very much easier by first laying the vines down and 

 throwing just enough earth over them to keep them in place, 

 then take an ordinary stirring plow and throw a furrow on 

 each side toward the row. In doing this it is necessary to use 

 care not to plow too deeply or stir the ground very near the roots. 

 The rest of the covering is done with a shovel, using the already 

 loosened soil. — The Farmer, St. Paul. 



