The Grape. 139 



are generally wound once around the end posts and their 

 ends secured by staples, or bent around the wire forming a 

 loop. They are secured to the intermediate posts by staples 

 driven in far enough so that the wire will not pull through 

 readily, but not so firmly as to prevent tightening the 

 wires. In windy regions the wires should be placed upon 

 the windward side of the posts. It is generally found 

 necessary to tighten the wires and posts as they become 

 loose, and it is wise to tamp the ground about the posts 

 each spring. 



For upright training, the trellis is usually begun the fall 

 or winter following the planting of the vineyard. With 

 the Kniffen system it may be delayed a year longer. 



199. Tying. Raffia, wool twine, osier willows, green rye 

 straw, corn husks and bass-wood bark are all used for tying. 

 Of these, raffia is perhaps the most satisfactory, though 

 more expensive than some of the others, A stronger ma- 

 terial is needed for tying the canes to the wires in the 

 spring than for summer tying. 



It is important that the canes be tied to the wires early 

 in spring, to prevent injury to the buds by the moving of 

 the canes by the wind. These canes should be tied firmly, 

 but the shoots tied during the summer may be fastened 

 more loosely. 



200. Harmful insects. While the grape is more or less 

 injured by a number of insects, few of these are sufficiently 

 destructive in this country to require special notice. The 

 phylloxera {Phylloxera vastatrix), so destructive to the Eu- 

 ropean grape, is but slightly injurious to our native species. 

 The foliage is more or less injured by several large beetles 

 and caterpillars, but as these seldom appear in large numbers, 

 and are rather conspicuous, they are readily controlled. 



