4.S FRUITS AND VHGtrrABLHS UNDER GLASS 



were cut before, but this operation will more tiian pay in the long run, as it 

 will lay the foundation of the vine for all its lifetime, especially with regard to 

 the spur system, which is the best all-around and most generally employed. 

 The long rod system can be recommended only for shy setting varieties or in 

 cases where a few large bunches are the aim. If the canes have made an excellent 

 growth the first season, four or five feet of the new growth may be left. There 

 should not be more growth left than will break away strong and even. General 

 conditions and the vigor of the plant should govern this cutting, as this is the 

 tmie when the spurs will be formed for another season. If we can arrange it 

 so that our spurs will be at an even distance on each side of the cane, namely, 

 about \y inches apart, and we allow another four or five feet of new wood to 

 remain each year, until we have the desired length of cane, it should take about 

 four years, if the vines make a good growth each year, for the \ine to reach the 

 top. That is for the spurred system. 



The mode of bearing of the Grape vine is different from that of many other 

 kinds of fruit trees. With the majority of fruiting trees we can tell in the Fall 

 what the prospect will be for the coming season, as regards a plentiful supply 

 of fruiting wood, but with the vine it is entirely a matter of conjecture, for the 

 bunches will spring from the young wood, sometimes one on a shoot, and again 

 as many as three on the same shoot, according to its condition and vigor. 



While the Grape vine will submit to almost any kind of training desired, 

 the straight rod system is the best, that is, allowing one rod to a plant. I have 

 seen as many as two or three canes taken up from the same root, training each 

 cane apart so that the one plant would cover a space of about 12 feet if three 

 shoots were taken up. But this is not done to an\- extent now and it has no 

 advantage over the single rod system. 



The Grape vine will stand hard pruning, especially when the wood is well 

 ripened, but careless pruning will destroy a vine in a few years if too much of 

 the young wood is left on. Such treatment will result in long, ungainly spurs, 

 w^hich are very undesirable. The shorter the distance which the sap has to travel 

 along the spurs the better. And we must resort to close pruning if we want to 

 keep our spurs close to the main stem. The object of pruning is to produce 

 vigor. In leaving two or three buds, the terminal will come away the strongest 

 and maybe the eyes at the back would stay dormant. Prune hard back, for 

 one well developed bud is all that is necessary for each spur. For by pruning 

 back to the seeming one good eye, probably one or more eyes will develop and 

 come away in case of accident to the one intended. 



The Grape vine produces, as a rule, more bunch than is ad\isable to be 

 left on unless, for some reason, a certain variety is shy in showing bunches. 

 Some varieties will occasionally show queer streaks. For instance, I have seen 

 a Barbarossa vine show bunch freely in some parts, and again nearly absolute 

 refuse in other places, or showing perhaps only two or three bunches on a vine, 

 although otherwise perfectly healthy and vigorous. In a case of this kind it 

 is well to use more potash on the border and less of other manure, as potash 

 promotes the fruit bearing qualities of the vine. 



The photograph shown on opposite page represents a \ inc about ten years old. 



