GRAPES. 205 



north of the line of grapes. Use three plain fence 

 wires, the first 2 feet from the ground, one at the 

 top, and one midway. The best fruit will be that 

 which grows the highest. 



The first and second year do not encourage the 

 vines to climb, but rather keep them as close to the 

 ground as possible. Do not let them spread toward 

 each other, but by staking or weighting, make 

 them all take the same direction. For instance we 

 are on the south side of a row facing it; all vines in 

 this row should grow to the right or left, it matters 

 not which. By this system the vines can be much 

 more easily laid down, and they have the same 

 room as if trained fan shaped, which is usually 

 recommended. There is another object which we 

 accomplish by this; the main canes are for some 

 distance parallel with the ground and close to it. 

 However large they may grow, there will never be 

 any trouble to cover them, as is the case where 

 they are taken out in an upright position, in which 

 case this wood gets so large in a few years, and so 

 rigid as to preclude laying down. Where this is 

 the case with old vineyards they can be renewed 

 by allowing new canes to grow from nearer the 

 ground and when large enough the old ones are 

 removed. 



Take only three canes from the plant, two is 

 better than four. The lowest of these will of course 

 be carried the furthest horizontally, the middle one 

 next, and the top one but a few inches or a foot. 

 Spread these out upon the wires, giving as near as 



