EXTENSION SYSTEM OF PRUNING 73 



same time, a few more favourably placed lengths of 

 young wood for producing good specimen bunches in 

 the following year. By this procedure extra fine 

 examples of the several varieties of the grape are ob- 

 tained, and the vines preserved free from long gnarly 

 spurs at the same time. Bearing this in mind, it is 

 a good plan to encourage a few of the young shoots 

 that frequently push from the main stems sometimes 

 from the base of the spurs and sometimes from the inter- 

 vening portions of the main stem. These growths, 

 being generally weak, should be allowed to make three 

 or four joints before being stopped cutting them close 

 back to one bud at pruning time. In this way a due 

 complement of young vigorous spurs can be preserved 

 on each vine. In short, the grape-vine is one of the 

 most accommodating and easily managed subjects we 

 have in the way of fruit-bearing trees. The cultivator, 

 being of an inventive turn of mind, can train and fruit 

 it satisfactorily in various interesting and effective shapes. 



EXTENSION SYSTEM OF PRUNING 



This system includes the short-rod and long-rod 

 methods, as well as pruning, with a view to filling 

 vineries with bearing wood from one to four vines. 

 The short-rod system is that already referred to ; 

 the long-rod consists in allowing one or two young 

 rods to run up every year for producing grapes in the 

 following year, cutting out the rods of the previous 

 year's make at pruning time every year. I must say at 

 once that I do not approve of this method. Some 

 growers, again, take up two or three permanent rods 

 from the main stem branching out at the bottom of the 

 trellis, the rods being trained at from three to four 

 feet apart, according to circumstances. There can be 

 no question as to the advantages resulting from the 



