158 THE GKAPE CULTURIST. 



were above ground and fastened to the lower bar, instead 

 of being a foot and a half below it. The vine is spur- 

 pruned, but the spurs are eighteen inches long at the com- 

 mencement. By leferring again to Fig. 56, in the second 

 vine from the left hand, b shows where the one cane is to 

 be cut away, and a where the other is pruned to two 

 buds. The first vine at the left is shown as it is supposed 

 to appear at the next year, or after it has been twice 

 pruned. It was cut off at &, and the two canes were pro- 

 duced from the two buds left. Now the left-hand cane is 

 cut away at a, and the right-hand cane pruned off at the 

 line just above the lower bar, leaving the buds (e^ d) to 

 produce two more arms. The vines are pruned the same 

 each year as though they were short spurs upon horizontal 

 arms. 



If six canes are left on such a vine at first, it will be 

 necessary, after two or three years, to cut out every other 

 one, for they will require more room as they increase in 

 size. But the amount of fruit need not be lessened, for 

 instead of two canes from each vine, they may be allowed 

 to carry four, or the number may be increased to six or 

 eight, but each one of these, in pruning, should be cut back 

 to two buds. When it is desirable to increase the number 

 of canes, it is only necessary to prune each one to two buds, 

 instead of removing one of them entire, as is usually done 

 in pruning to two buds. 



The increased strength which is given to the vine treated 

 in this manner is very considerable, because roots issue 

 from every portion of it that is buried, and each spur is 

 not only furnished with roots at its base, but it also ha 

 the assistance of the original roots. Vines that are natu 

 rally but feeble growers at best, will grow strong and vig- 

 orous when layered as I have described. It is also very 

 easy to protect vines when grown in this manner, especially 

 if the spurs are kept within a foot of the ground. Let the 

 rows run east and west, then nail a board of sufficient 



