70 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. 



what particular mode of training shall be 

 adopted ; for our pruning now must give shape 

 to this. There are several good methods of 

 training the vine, the best of which we propose 

 to explain. We shall begin with the double, 

 horizontal arm system, since a good knowledge 

 of that will pave the way to an easy under 

 standing of the rest. Our pruning at the close 

 of the second year will have in view the begin 

 ning of the arms. We say the beginning, be 

 cause, if we should form or lay down the whole 

 arm at one time, the lower buds, or those near 

 est the body of the vine, would break feebly, 

 and either remain weak, or disappear alto 

 gether. The vital force, or action, tends so 

 strongly to the end of the cane, that we must 

 in some way control it, in order to fill up the 

 entire length of the arm with fruitful spurs. 

 This can be done with certainty only by a grad 

 ual extension of the arm ; but even then the arm 

 must not be extended beyond a certain length, 

 or the vital force will overcome the restraint put 

 upon it, and defeat our purpose. As a general 

 rule, arms four feet long should not be in 

 creased more than one third of their length at 

 a time, and that only when the canes are good. 

 We will suppose our vines are four feet 



