50 FRUITS AND \ CGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



showing plaiiil\ the iiit'tliocl of pruning Iriini year to year, on the spur system. 

 U such a vine had not been pruned well back each year to one well developed 

 bud the spurs would have been long and ungainly; the failure to prune back 

 is also of disadvantage to the development of the vine, for long spurred vines 

 will produce but ordinary Grapes. Without doubt, it takes considerable nerve 

 to cut a vine back in this manner, for it seems as though we were leaving but 

 small possibilities for the production of fruit for the following season. 



To follow up this method of pruning successfully it is absolutely necessary 

 that the wood be thoroughly ripened. The practical fruit grower will know, 

 when pruning, if the wood is in good shape. The test is that the cuts in well 

 ripened wood will dry up at once and will look almost like old wounds in a few- 

 hours. But should there be a watery fluid, or what is termed bleeding, we 

 realize at once that the wood has not ripened up fully. While this bleeding 

 will not kill the vine it will weaken the buds considerably. However, as a 

 preventive, even when there are no signs at all of bleeding, it is well to put some- 

 thing on the cuts to close up the pores. There is a styptic preparation sold by 

 seedsmen, but brown shellac will answ-er the same purpose. Unfortunately, 

 when a vine once begins to bleed, neither of these preparations will remedy 

 the evil. This trouble will generally be most noticeable when starting a house, 

 for when the first sap begins to flow large quantities of water are taken up through 

 the roots, and the probabilities are that the evil will not be adjusted until the 

 canes commence to break into growth, which action will, of course, furnish an 

 outlet for the surplus sap. But this bleeding will. In any case, weaken the vine 

 considerably, and fruit men will guard against this e\'il as much as possible. 

 The best preventive is ripe wood. 



The question naturally follows: What is the correct method of securing 

 ripe wood.^ To which we make answer: By keeping on all the air possible after 

 the fruit is gathered, both top and bottom, gradually drying off the borders 

 as the foliage begins to ripen, and if the vines can be given a few degrees of 

 frost before they are started again for another crop it will benefit them. Give 

 them treatment as near as possible to that of Nature. Do not allow the frost 

 to penetrate at haphazard, but give them eight to ten degrees. To ripen by 

 coddling will produce poor results. 



A grapery for late use, w-hich would be started about the first of April, 

 must be pruned long before that date, otherwise there will be serious trouble. 

 By that time the sap will be in action and, even with ripe wood, serious bleeding 

 would follow. Indoor Grapes should not be pruned later than the middle of 

 February or, better still, a week or so earlier. This refers, of course, to late 

 houses. 



THE LONG ROD S^■STEM 



The long rod system, is, as I have said, not used to any extent, but if e.xtra 

 large bunches are desired they may be produced through this system, and it 

 may also be applied to varieties that are shy fruiting. I have in mind a notable 

 variety which is not grown much in this country, so far as I know, namely, the 

 Duke of Buccleuch, w-hich has berries considerably larger than those of Gros 



