STATE HORTICULTCRAL SOCIETY, 77 



At times it may require a good deal of courage to destroy so many 

 prospective clusters of fruit, therefore it is better to do it early. 



The remaining shoots are pinched off at one or two leaves beyond 

 the last cluster of fruit, and all latterals are stopped in the same way 

 as fast as they appear. These bearing canes and latterals, after recov- 

 ering from the check thus given, will soon recover and make a fresh 

 start in wood making, when the pinching process is repeated as 

 before, leaving an additional leaf each time. The effect of this treat- 

 ment is to retard the sap and retain it where it is most needed for the 

 full development of buds, leaves and fruit. The leaves remaining are 

 thus increased in size much beyond their natural proportions, which 

 undoubtedly adds to the vitality of the vine, its power to resist dis- 

 ease, also at the same time increasing the size of the fruit and giving 

 it a finer flavor. This close pinching process also results in full, 

 well-developed fruit buds on the canes to be left for next year's fruit- 

 ing- 



Some advocates of long pruning claim that the third and fourth 

 buds on a cane produce the best clusters, while others contend that 

 the auxiliary buds, those that emerge at the junction of the young and 

 old canes, will never produce fruit. But it will be observed that very 

 much depends on the treatment the vines have received. If they have 

 been allowed to grow at random and to take care of themselves, we 

 will admit the vines will seldom fruit, purely from lack of develop- 

 ment, the sap being allowed to pursue its natural course unmolested; 

 it has no time to stop to develop buds. With judicious summer prun- 

 ing these base buds are equal to the emergenc3\ In fact, the short 

 spur-system depends absolutely for success on this summer pruniog. 



For our climate, where it is absolutely necessary to protect vines 

 during winter by laying down and covering with earth, in order to 

 secure a crop, the spur-system is probably the most successful, all 

 things considered. 



The following paper was then read by Mr. Sias : 



THE TREE PEDDLER. 



By A. W, Sias, Rochester. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the State Horticultural Society: 



"When you see him coming, call back your dogs; don't slam the 

 door in his face, for you may entertain an angel unawares." These 



