GRAPES 201 



lateral branches, called canes, are shortened in 

 until from four to eight buds or joints are left. 

 From these four to eight buds will spring new 

 shoots which will droop from the wires and on 

 which the fruit will be produced. During the 

 early summer it is the practice to go over the 

 vines carefully and remove all of the fruit from 

 those shoots which are nearest the trunk — that 

 is, the four new shoots nearest the trunk are 

 allowed to grow without fruit. At the next 

 pruning the old wood is all removed except the 

 virgin shoots from which the grapes were taken 

 early in the year. These shoots are then bent 

 upward and are tied in place on the wires and 

 form the points of origin of the next season's 

 fruit-bearing shoots. From the description I 

 realize that it sounds complicated — like the 

 description of the gear shift in an automobile. 

 In practice, however, it is quite simple — just as 

 the instruction book says. This system of prun- 

 ing results in a maximum yield of fruit and it 

 produces a wonderfully attractive-looking vine- 

 yard or arbor. Unfortunately, if a hard winter 

 comes along and kills back a lot of your vines, 

 or if the seventeen-year cicada goes on a spree 

 and ruins the tops of the trunks, your beautiful 

 system may go to pieces so fast that it will make 

 your head swim. In that case thank your stars 

 if you have anything at all left to prune and 

 remember that the fruit is always borne on 



