VARIOUS SPECIES OF FRUITS 



139 



will be time enough, if ever, to mulch. 

 Then extra roots near the surface may 

 be encouraged. ti| ^ 



During the first season only the 

 one or two strongest shoots should be 

 allowed to grow. These should be tied 

 to stakes about six feet long above 

 ground (Fig. 98). After the leaves 

 have fallen, or at earliest fully two 

 weeks before the sap starts the following 

 Spring, the best cane (that is, shoot) 

 of each vine should be cut back to two 

 buds and all other growths cut off 

 entirely. By cutting back in this way 

 all the energy of the plant will be con- 

 centrated in the one to three shoots 

 that develop from the buds. It may 

 still further be concentrated if after 

 the bases of the shoots have become 

 woody the inferior ones are cut off 

 entirely, thus leaving only one to utilize 

 the plant food. 



If to be trained on a building, 

 leather strips may be used to fasten the 

 vines, but wires held six or eight 

 inches away from the wall by long 

 shanked screw eyes will make a neater 

 job and give better circulation of air. 

 If to be trained on an arbor stakes will 

 answer well the first season. In this 



case the arbor need not be built until the Spring of the third year, 

 though strong vines may have the arbor built the second season. 



Many styles of trellises are in use. The one I prefer, recommend 

 and herein describe, is the canopy or Munson style, because it pro- 

 vides a canopy of leaves over the vines and fruit high enough above 

 ground to admit free circulation of air and sufficient light to favor fruit 

 development and ripening. If an additional foot be added to the 

 height, Currant and Gooseberry bushes may be planted between the 

 vines beneath the trellis, thus providing these bushes with the partial 

 shade they need in warm localities. Furthermore, this trellis is easy 

 to pass under if one must chase his neighbor's hens off the premises ! 



Among the conspicuous advantages that the canopy trellis (Fig. 

 99) has over other trelKses are simplicity, cheapness, ease of doing all 



Fig. 98. First season in the vine- 

 yard. Ready for trellising next 

 year. Buckwheat cover crop 

 in row 



