54 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OP VITICULTURE 



may seem to be unnecessarily long but after they have been driven several 

 years it will be found that they are not. 



Fig. 1. Single Stem Kniffen System. 



With the Single-Stem Kniffen. (Fig. 1), a single trunk or stem is carried 

 directly to the top wire the third year after planting, or if the growth is not 

 long enough at this time it is carried to the lower wire and there tied. The 

 following year a cane from this is extended to top wire, thus the stem is 

 formed for a period of years. In event of a complete stem to the upper wire 

 in the third year, it is good practice to break out many of the developing 

 shoots, and allow only the strongest to grow, and those that arise close to 

 both the lower and upper wires. The stem should be tied tightly to the top 

 wire and somewhat loosely to the lower. The girdling resulting at the top is 

 not objectionable as the head of the vine is preferred somewhat below 

 rather than at or above the wire. This facilitates the bending and tying of 

 the canes. When the shoots have become sufficiently hardened those that 

 are growing in proximity to the wires should be loosely tied to them in order 

 that they may not be broken off during cultivation. At the beginning of the 

 fourth year a typical vine should consist of a stem extending from the 

 ground to a point just below the top wire. From this all but four canes and 

 four spurs of two buds each have been cut away. Two canes and two spurs 

 are therefore located below each wire level. As the sap flow is most vigorous 

 at the top of the stem from four to six buds more are left on the upper 

 canes than on the lower. A vine that has made sufficient growth so that the 

 stem goes to the upper wire the third year will probably support the fourth 

 season canes aggregating twenty-two buds with eight additional buds on the 

 spurs. If the growth has been slight, only a half of this number should be 

 left. It is far better to err with the lesser number. The tying at this time 

 consists of fastening the stem rather loosely, with ordinary grape twine, to 

 the lower wire, and with the same material the canes are tied down to and 



