1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



145 



straw in the autumn, and thus keep the roots 

 warm, and perhaps gaining strength for their 

 summer labor. The border now being prepared, 

 our first cut will show the usual appearance of 

 the plant as received from the nursery, and the 



^-fi^f- 



Fig.l. — Vine as obtained from nur- Fig. 2. — The same pruned 

 sery, with straggling shoots. when set out. 



manner in which it ought to be pruned before it 

 is set out. Now let the single shoot grow 

 till about the first of autumn, then pinch off the 

 end, so that the wood that has grown may become 

 mature. Any side-shoots that appear during the 

 summer should not be allowed to take a rank 

 growth, but kept headed down, subordinate to 

 the leading shoot, though perhaps not entirely 

 eradicated from the stem. Our next cut will give 

 the 



Fig. 3.— Growth at end of first Fig. 4.— Growth at end of second 

 summer from setting out. summer from setting out. 



Appearance of the Plant the Second Year. — 

 The single strong shoot made the first year, 



(fig. 2,) should be cut down to three or four buds, 

 only two shoots from which should be allowed to 

 grow, the others being rubbed off, and the late- 

 rals, should any appear, pinched off at the ends, 

 but not entirely removed, because it is believed 

 they promote the general growth of the main 

 stem. Pinch off the end of the shoot in autumn 

 as before, and continue this process until the vine 

 sends up a strong main stem as high as is desir- 

 ed. Any fruit which sets, with the exception of 

 a single bunch, should be removed, as in perfect- 

 ing fruit the vigor of the vine itself is retarded. 

 Our next cut 



Fig. 5. Growth at end of third summer from settling out. 



SJiotcs the Vine in the Spring of the Tliird 

 Year. — The two shoots made during the second 

 year, (fig. 4,) are now extended each way 

 horizontally, and fastened to the newly-erected 

 trellis. These horizontal branches, termed armSy 

 are to be cut back at the same time, so as to leave 

 two good buds on each, so that four shoots, two 

 on each side, may spring up from them ; observ- 

 ing what has heretofore been said as to suckers 

 or side branches. The four shoots, as they ad- 

 vance in growth, should be tied to the trellis, in 

 the position that the figure represents. This 

 brings us to the next illustration, 



Fig. 6. — A full-grown grape vine, trained on the alternate or renewal system — 



the dark vines, the present year's bearers — the dotted ones, 



growing this year, for bearing next. 



Showing the Cane or Renewal System. By re- 

 capitulating a little we can now show the whole 

 matter distinctly : The first season one branch 

 is trained up ; in the fall this is cut back to 3 or 

 4 eyes, and the next season another is trained up 

 and the first is extended ; both are then laid down 



and trained horizontally, near the surface ; and 

 from each a cane is trained up, as pointed out by 

 the letters a, a. The next season these will bear 

 fruit, and two more canes, h,b, as shown by the 

 dotted lines, will be trained up to bear fruit the 

 following season, when the stems, a, a, are cut 



