450 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



PRUNING THE GEAPE VINE 



THIS work is usually left for the month 

 of March, a cold, chilly month, when 

 the pruner suffers most severely from ex- 

 posure at such 

 quiet kind of 

 work. In north- 

 ern sections 

 where the wood 

 is often killed 

 back in winter, 

 it may be best to 

 wait until the 

 cold weather is 

 past before prun- 

 ing-, but in the 

 greater part of 

 Ontario it is bet- 

 ter to begin pruning in November. The 

 vines should be pruned and laid down, so 

 that the snow will protect them from the 

 severe cold. Then the brush should be 

 dragged out to the end of the rows with 

 the harrow, and burned, thus destroying 

 many fungus germs. 



Most grape growers prune altogether too 

 little. Such thrifty growers as Concord 

 and Niagara produce altogether too much 

 wood, and if all is allowed to remain, not 

 only will there be much fruit, but much of 

 it will be poor in quality, and the branches 



Fig. 2459.' 

 Kniffen System. 



'% 



^ 



Fig. 2460. 

 Kniffen System. 



Fig. 2 t6r. Fig. 2462. 



The Fuller System. 



ill-shaped ; while fifty buds will give as much 

 fruit as the vine can mature to perfection. 

 A fairly good general rule with Concords is 

 to reduce the canes to five in number, and 

 cut these back to nine or ten buds each. 

 The Delaware should be cut back more se- 

 verely still, while the Rogers grapes need 

 not to be cut back so closely. 



THE KNIFFEN SYSTEM OF GRAPE 

 PRUNING 



IN those mild sections, where it is not 

 necessary to give winter protection, the 

 the Kniffen system is advisable because of 

 its simplicity. As shown in our engraving 

 the vine is cut back to four arms, thus re- 

 quiring only two wires, and the young 

 growth hangs down, and does not need any 

 summer tying up. Very often these arms 



