240 



POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



quicker, cheaper, and more elastic, so that when struck by the 

 hames or collar in cultivation, it gives a little, receiving no dam- 

 age. 



"Likewise place the cross arms on the intermediate posts, 

 leaving the ends of the wire projecting about six inches after 

 fastening. Then fasten a piece of wire about twenty-four feet 

 long to each end of the cross arm at either end of the row and 

 draw both tightly around the next post from the end near the 

 ground and fasten so as to hold the arm at right angles to the 

 middle wire. Then fasten the lateral wires firmly with the 

 above mentioned six inches of wire left after fastening the in- 

 termediate posts, as may be seen in fig. 114. This will prevent 

 the arms from slipping out of position. 



"Pruning and training on this trellis is very simple and easy, 

 with a little instruction for a few minutes with a vine or two 

 pruned for example. The first season the vine is allowed to 

 grow up on the middle wire by a string about which it is 

 coiled by hand, by going over the vineyard once or twice until 

 the selected shoot of each vine i^ upon the wire, after which it 

 is allowed to ramble at freedom over the wires. By getting on 

 to the trellis the first year one strong shoot, and allowing no 

 other to grow, a partial crop may be had the second year with- 

 out damage. On all weak growers, like the Delaware, this 

 should not be allowed to bear until the third year. At the first 

 regular pruning, (all pruning should be done in November, after 

 leaf fall, and never so late as to cause the vines to bleed), the 

 vine should be cut back to two or three buds that have reached 

 the middle wire. 



"If the vines are strong growers, cut back to six or eight 



It ft Bft^ 



JPost 



LndPosi ^'"'•' i-i l'<^^ ll'^rin^ iae, four drns ZiCk, pruned 3nd fi<:ii 



Fig. 114. — The Munson method of pruning; a modification of th« 

 Kniffen system. 



