FRUIT CULTURE. 795 



grapes on the lower part of the trellis out of the dirt. A year ago this last autumn, there 

 were heavy rains through the month of September, that spattered a great deal of soil upon 

 the grapes, and it was very difficult to get it off. It troubled me so much that I decided that 

 the lower wire should be raised to about twenty inches from the ground. The next wire 

 I put fifteen inches above that. The next wire is fifteen inches above that, making four 

 wires in all.&quot; 



Another method is to secure a cross bar three or four feet long to the top of each post 

 extending across the rows, with three or four wires stretched along on these cross bars to 

 hold the permanent arms of the vine, the new growth and fruit hanging down from the 

 wires. This mode saves the labor of tying, and the bearing shoots do better to hang down 

 than to be trained upward. The posts should be at least six feet above the ground, and 

 the wires should be stretched very tight. A wire trellis should be provided the second year 

 of the growth of the vines. 



Culture and Pruning. The culture of grapes is very simple, being similar to that 

 for Indian corn, except perhaps more shallow, so as not to disturb the roots. The harrow 

 should be called into frequent requisition to keep the soil clean of weeds, and this can be best 

 accomplished by destroying them as soon as they make their appearance and before they have 

 had time to become established in the soil. The rules for grape culture must of course vary 

 somewhat, according to the peculiarities of the climate, soil, the variety, exposure of land, etc. 

 Frequent cultivation is a great benefit to grapes, as well as to other fruits. The object of 

 pruning is to give a preponderance of roots over the top, and by cutting away the top of any 

 plant that lives through the winter, we secure this object, so that the next season we shall 

 have a stronger and more &quot;vigorous growth. There are various methods of pruning adopted. 

 The usual custom is to allow but one cane to grow the first year, this being from the most 

 thrifty and promising bud, all others being rubbed off early in the spring, or as soon as they 

 are developed, all the sap and strength of the plant going to form one shoot. 



Late in the fall this branch is cut back to three or four buds. The second two canes are 

 allowed to grow from this stem, these being from the most vigorous buds, the others being 

 rubbed off as before. By this means the canes grown receive a large portion of the sap and 

 strength of the plant, and the roots have a fair chance for growth, superfluous vines not 

 robbing them of their nutriment. During the following summer no pruning will be necessary, 

 except to pinch off all inferior shoots. The following autumn the two canes are cut back to 

 three or four buds each, leaving a bud upon the main stock to grow a cane the following 

 year. The third summer, the two canes may be allowed to bear a very few clusters of fruit 

 if desired, but if permitted to overbear when so young they will be liable to be permanently 

 injured. The thinning of the fruit should be done with sharp scissors, instead of a knife. 

 After the fourth year the vines can be trained in any style desired. Another method of 

 training sometimes practiced is to permit two canes to grow during the second season as 

 previously recommended, pruning them in the autumn at from three to four feet from the 

 main stem, and fasten them horizontally along the lower railing or wire of the trellis. 



One bud is left to form an upright shoot about every foot of these canes, the others 

 being rubbed off. Each fall or spring the laterals are all trimmed out, leaving only the two 

 horizontal branches, and eight or ten upright. Two years from this growth, and every year 

 afterward, each second or third upright cane may be cut back to within one bud of the main 

 arms or branches, and thus new wood for fruit growth be constantly supplied. Another plan 

 is to permit the vines to grow fan-shaped upon the trellis, renewing some of the canes 

 occasionally by cutting them back. Another plan is to allow three or four upright canes to 

 grow to a stake, cutting one or more of the canes back nearly to the ground occasionally to 

 renew the wood, as only the new wood produces the fruit. The vine dresser must bear in 

 mind that the object arrived at is to have the vine make the proper amount of new wood and 

 VOL. II. 43 



