448 AMERICAN GRAPE TRAINING, CONCLUDED 



If possible, the renewal cane is brought from a 

 new place on the old wood every year, in order to 

 avoid a spur. Such was the case in the vine 

 shown in Fig. 262, page 410. Fig. 284 shows 

 the vine tied down to the lowest wire. Two 

 ties have been made upon each cane. Fig. 285 

 shows a vine in which four canes have been left 

 to form the top for the following year. The stubs 

 for the renewals can be seen in the Y. It is 

 customary to leave more than two canes, occasion- 

 ally, in strong -growing varieties like Concord. 

 Sometimes four, and occasionally six are left. If 

 four canes are left, two may be tied together in 

 each direction on the bottom wire. If six are 

 used, the two extra ones should be tied along the 

 second wire, parallel with the lowest ones. These 

 extra canes are sometimes tied obliquely across 

 the trellis, but this practice should be discouraged, 

 for the usual tendency of the vine is to make its 

 greatest growth at the top, and the lower buds 

 may fail to bear. 



The ideal length of the two canes varies with 

 different varieties and the distance apart at which 

 the vines are set. Very strong kinds, like Con- 

 cord and Niagara, can carry ten or twelve buds on 

 each cane, especially if the vines are set more than 

 eight feet apart. Fig. 286 shows half of a Con- 

 cord vine in which about ten buds were left on 

 each cane. These strong sorts can often carry 

 forty or fifty buds to the vine to advantage, but 



