136 Lessons in Fruit Growing. 



trunk. These canes are now cut back to strong and sound 

 wood, and the process of the preceding year is repeated. 



This method of training requires the production of two 

 strong canes near the top of the trunk each season. But 

 as a portion of the wood of the preceding year must be left 

 at each cutting back, spurs are soon formed at the top of 

 the trunk. It often happens that neither of the canes 

 starting from these spurs is strong enough for laying down 

 as a main- cane the next spring. In this case, the nearest 

 cane to the trunk that is sufficiently strong is chosen, and 

 the weaker cane near the top of the trunk is cut back to 

 two buds, from which strong shoots may be expected to 

 grow the following season. 



As the vine acquires age, a strong shoot may be trained 

 up from the base from time to time and treated precisely 

 as a young vine. The second year thereafter, the old vine 

 may be cut awaj' at the surface of the ground and the 

 younger trunk trained to take its place. 



195. The Kniffen system. The principal drooping 

 method of training was first used by one William Knitfen 

 in the Hudson River 

 valley about 1854, and 

 hence has received his 

 name. The original 

 Kniffen system em- 

 ployed a trellis with 

 two wires only, of 



which the lower wire F^«- ^^^ ^''^P^ ^'^^ trained by Kniffen system. 



Tlie cross-marks show where the branches should 



was usually placed 3^ be cut off in pruning. (From Bailey's "Pruning 



feet from the ground Book.") 



and the upper about 2 feet above this. A single stem or trunk 

 of the vine is carried directly to the top wire and two canes 

 are trained outward from side spurs at each wire (Fig. 38). 



