76 



THE HORIZONTAL ARM SYSTEM, 



Upon the trellis the vine 

 may be established in a 

 natnral fan system (Fig-. 

 58), in the vertical arm 

 system (Fig. 59), or in the 

 horizontal arm system 

 (Fig. GO). 



All the various systems 

 by which the vine is trained 

 may be brought down to 

 iwo — the spur system, 

 and the renewal system. 

 By the spur system all the 

 canes at the end of the 

 season are cut back to 

 three buds, as shown at 

 the dotted lines a, Fig. 58. 

 _ By the renewal system, 

 ° canes are grown this sea- 

 ^^ son for fruiting the next ; 

 while the cane that has 

 borne fruit, is cut back to 

 a spur from which is grown 

 the cane to produce the 

 fruit the next season. 



The two systems are 

 practiced with various 

 modifications, but the 

 whole secret of succ ss 

 lies in the amount of 

 strong, thoroughly ripened 

 wood that can be produced 

 and of allowing only a 

 small number of large, 

 perfect bunches to remain 

 upon the vine. 



The thinning of the 

 "'■'•-**-^^ fruit should l)e done as 

 soon as the grapes are the size ot peas. All the small bunches 

 should be removed and only one or two be left upon each new 

 shoot, according to the strength of the vine. Under the best of 

 cultivation a vine four or five years old may produce from five 

 to ten pounds of choice fruit ; and as it increases in size and vigor, 

 it may produce as high as twenty pounds. The average for vine- 

 yards, in full bearing, will not be over ten pounds of choice fruit 

 per vine. 



Pruning. — The beginner in Grape-growing is often much 

 troubled about the best time to prune the vine and the best 

 methods of pruning. With vines that are well established the 

 work is very simple and consists, in the spur system, in cutting- 



