464 AMERICAN GRAPE TRAINING, CONCLUDED 



shown in Fig. 293. They have been cut back. 

 The length at which these canes shall be left is 

 a moot point. Much depends on the variety, 

 the distance between the wires, the strength of 

 the soil, and other factors. Nearly all growers 

 now agree that the upper canes should be longer 

 than the lower ones, although equal canes are 

 still used in some places. In strong varieties, 

 like Worden, each of the upper canes may bear 

 ten buds and each of the lower ones five. This 

 gives thirty buds to the vine. Some growers pre- 

 fer to leave twelve buds above, and only four 

 below. 



These four pruned canes are generally allowed 

 to hang during winter, but are tied onto the wires 

 before the buds swell in spring. They are 

 stretched out horizontally and secured to the 

 wire by one or two ties on each cane The 

 shoots which spring from these horizontal canes 

 stand upright or oblique at first, but they soon 

 fall over with the weight of foliage and fruit. If 

 they touch the ground, the ends may be clipped 

 with a sickle, corn -cutter or scythe, although 

 this is not always done, and is not necessary un- 

 less the canes interfere with cultivation. There 

 is no summer pinching or pruning, although the 

 superfluous shoots should be broken out, as in 

 other systems. It is imperative, for best results, 

 that the shoots do not grow out horizontally on 

 the wires. They should be torn off the wires once 



