472 AMERICAN GRAPE TRAINING, CONCLUDED 



son, renewal canes are taken from the spurs in 

 exactly the same manner as in the ordinary Knif- 

 fin. This species of training reduces the amount 

 of leaf -surf ace to a minimum, and every precau- 

 tion must be taken to insure a healthy leaf- 

 growth. This system of training will probably 

 not allow of the successful girdling of the vine 

 for the purpose of hastening the maturity and 

 augmenting the size of the fruit (page 284). 

 Yet heavy crops can be obtained from it, if 

 liberal fertilizing and good cultivation are em- 

 ployed, and the fruit is nearly always first -class. 

 A certain Concord vine trained in this manner 

 produced in 1892 eighty clusters of first quality 

 grapes, weighing forty pounds. 



Another type of Umbrella training has five 

 main canes instead of two. Except in very 

 strong vines, this top is too heavy, and it is 

 probably never so good as the other (Fig. 305), 

 if the highest results are desired; but for the 

 grower who does not practice high cultivation 

 it is probably a safer system than the other. 



THE LOW, OR ONE -WIRE KNIFFIN. A modifica- 

 tion of this Umbrella system is sometimes used, 

 in which the trellis is only three or four feet 

 high and comprises but a single wire. A cane of 

 ten or a dozen buds is tied out in each direction, 

 and the shoots are allowed to hang in essentially 

 the same manner as in the True or High Kniffin 

 system. The advantages urged for this system 



