SHORT AND LONG PRUNING 501 



to spurs of one, two or three eyes. The number 

 of spurs is regulated by the vigor and age of the 

 vine. This mode of pruning can be used only 

 for varieties in which the eyes near the base of 

 the cane are fruitful. For all other cases long 

 or half -long pruning is necessary. 



In half -long pruning, certain canes are left with 

 from four to six eyes, according to the length 

 of the internodes. These canes or fruit -spurs 

 will bear more fruit than short spurs for three 

 reasons : 1, because there will be more fruit- 

 bearing shoots ; 2, because the upper eyes are 

 more fruitful than the lower ; and 3, because a 

 larger number of eyes being supplied with sap 

 from the same arm, each shoot will be less vig- 

 orous and therefore more fruitful. Owing, how- 

 ever, to the tendency of the vine to expend the 

 principal part of its vigor on the shoots farthest 

 removed from the base of the canes, the lower 

 eyes on the long spurs will generally produce 

 very feeble shoots. In order, then, to obtain 

 spurs of sufficient vigor for the next year's crop, 

 it would be necessary to choose them near the 

 ends of the long spurs of the previous year, if 

 no others were left. This would result in a 

 rapid and inconvenient elongation of the arms. 

 In order to avoid this it is necessary to leave a 

 spur of one or two eyes below each long -fruiting 

 spur, that is to say, near the trunk. These 

 short wood spurs having only one or two eyes, 



