242 POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



near the ends, will be all the tying the vines will need — that is, 

 two ties to each vine — the least required by any trellis system, 

 and the pruning is also simplest and the results every way the 

 best. 



"Some of the advantages of this trellis are its cheapness, 

 its simplicity, bringing the work up breast high so that pruning, 

 harvesting, tying, and spraying can be done in an erect position, 

 saving back strain; perfect distribution of light, heat and air 

 to foliage, fruit and soil, yet protecting body of vine and fruit 

 from sunscald and birds; giving free ventilation and easy pas- 

 sage of wind through the vineyard without blowing down the 

 trellis or tender shoots from the vines, and allowing ready pas- 

 sage from row to row, without going around, thus getting larger 

 and better crops at less expense and increasing length of life of 

 vineyard and the pleasure of taking care of it." 



Training vines against buildings or walls is a good plan, and 

 such treatment will hasten the period of ripening and protect 

 from early and late frosts. Of course, the southern exposure 

 is always preferable. The trellis for this purpose should be 

 about one foot away from the wall or building. In such locations 

 it is possible to mature good varieties of grapes where otherwise 

 they would be a failure. It is doubtful if there is a habitable 

 section of northern United States where fairly good grapes will 

 not ripen nearly every year in such positions, and almost every 

 farm offers several favorable opportunities of this sort. The 

 soil close to buildings may not be such as is desired, but it can 

 easily be improved, or entirely removed and a better kind sub- 

 stituted. And sometimes what would be a very poor soil for 

 many other crops is just what is needed for the grape. There 

 are many cases where in such locations single vines have borne 

 several hundred pounds of grapes in one season. 



Pruning neglected vines — When vines have been neglected 

 for several years it is often a difficult matter for the beginner 

 to bring them under any system of pruning, and they are on 

 this account allowed to go unpruned and unproductive. Some- 

 times such vines may best be brought into shape by cutting 

 away nine-tenths of the wood and then carefully thinning out 

 and pinching the young growth that may start. At other times, 



