434 AMERICAN GRAPE TRAINING, CONCLUDED 



This fact does not indicate, however, that the 

 upright system is to be entirely superseded, but 

 rather that it must be confined to those varieties 

 and conditions for which it is best adapted. The 

 two systems will undoubtedly supplement each 

 other. The horizontal systems are occasionally 

 used for choice varieties, but they are little 

 known. 



To Mr. Spencer, who has observed many modes 

 of training, the subject appeals as follows : " The 

 fundamental idea of grape pruning is to find the 

 proper balance between the energy which the vine 

 has and the labor that it is expected to perform. 

 What we treat as training is nothing more or less 

 than spreading the vines to light and air, and 

 there are many ways of doing it. Many of them 

 are good, and some better for some varieties of 

 grapes and for certain locations. As a rule, the 

 difference in results of different methods of train- 

 ing is not worth the contention that it has pro- 

 voked. The great point is to determine what 

 the plant is capable of doing, and then to cut 

 and train the top to correspond. Select any 

 system of training which you fancy or with which 

 your help is the most familiar, anu then leave 

 your wood in the form most convenient for that 

 system." 



Spencer gives the following notes on general 

 methods of grape pruning in the Chautauqua 

 vineyards: 



