F. RUBENS UPON THE VINE AND ITS TREATiMENT. 309 



Fip. 10. 



heat which the soil tlirows out; for which reason, grapes in the 

 immediate neighborhood of the ground, and covered entirely by 

 vine-leaves, are often the ripest. Excellent pruning methods to 

 accomplish this are the following: 



1. The Head-pruning. — This will form the lowest training of the 

 vines. The pruning is very simple, as all shoots with year-old 

 wood are pruned off'; and of the new vines, according to the 



strength of the grape-vine, from four to ten 

 are left, wliich are pruned so that each shoot 

 has one bud left. After the blooming is 

 over, the 3'oung shoots may be brought up- 

 ward and tied together {Figure 10). It will 

 represent almost a balloon form. To pre- 

 vent the shoots from bending down under 

 their own weight, the end should be cut off 

 over the place where they are tied. The 

 grapes will hang in the shape of a wreath 

 around the vine, and can have all the influ- 

 ence of air, light, and sun, through which 

 they not only ripen more earl}'-, but they gain in sweetness and 

 produce an excellent wine. For level slopes, and for places of a 

 light, warm soil, and a sheltered, dry location, this method is to be 

 preferred to any other. In districts where wood is scarce or ex- 

 pensive, this plan should be followed. 



2. The Bush-pruning. — This method differs from the foregoing 



only in that a few of 

 the last year's shoots 

 are kept on the vine, 

 which are pruned 

 down to 2 or 3 buds 

 {Figure 11). Should 

 the number of young 

 shoots amount to 12 

 or 14, they are di- 

 vided ; some are tied 

 together over the 

 vine balloon-fashion, 

 while others are, as 

 represented in Figure 



11, tied together with shoots of a neighboring vine, which is sup- 

 ported with a little pole. This method is adapted for richer soil 

 and hot localities. 



3. The method of the Landerhach pruning is best adapted for 

 steep hills with rich soil, as the vine will be sujpported by a prop. 

 The young vines are not tied balloon-like, as by the foregoing 

 method; they are spread like a fan, and give the same result 

 and advantages as the plans No. 1 and 2, exclusive of the cost of 

 the props. The grape-vine has generally two or three branches 



