SUMMER TREATMENT 521 



water -sprout, as already explained under short- 

 pruning. 



Summer Pruning 



Some form of summer or green pruning is 

 practised in most California vineyards, if in the 

 term we include all the operations to which the 

 green shoots are subjected. There seems, how- 

 ever, to be little system used, and very little 

 understanding of its true nature and object. In 

 general, it may be said that green pruning of 

 the vine is least needed, and is often harmful in 

 warm, dry locations and seasons, and of most use 

 under cool and damp conditions. 



The principal kinds of green pruning are: 1, 

 Pinching; 2, Suckering and Sprouting; 3, Top- 

 ping; 4, Removal of Leaves. 



PINCHING consists in removing the extreme 

 growing tip of a young shoot. It is necessary 

 to remove only about half an inch to accomplish 

 the purpose of preventing further elongation of 

 the shoot, as all growth in length takes place at 

 the extreme tip. The immediate result of pinch- 

 ing is to concentrate the sap in the leaves and 

 blossoms of the shoots, and finally to force out 

 the dormant buds in the axils of the leaves. It 

 has been found useful in some cases to combat 

 coulure or dropping with heavy -growing varie- 

 ties, such as the Claire tte Blanche. It is also of 

 use in preventing unsupported shoots from be- 



