398 AMERICAN GRAPE TRAINING 



bower most beautifully, and bears abundance of grapes, 

 which come to fine perfection and make a noble appearance ; 

 every exposure I expect would answer in this country ; the 

 southwest is the exposure that I saw grapes come first to 

 maturity. There is in Swisserland such an espalier in full 

 perfection, thirty feet high, on the side of a large barn, 

 planted there by myself thirty five years since." 



The sketch in Fig. 256 "shows a piece of an espalier or 

 hedgerow. Letter L the laths; b the horns to be renewed 

 yearly; h the horizontal branches. At the lower lath as it 

 appears immediately after the training of it. Along the 

 next lath above, shows the horns made the subsequent prim- 

 ings." Fig. 257 "represents two mulberry trees and vines 

 trained from tree to tree letter h the main horizontal 

 branches L the lath m the trees b the horns to be 

 renewed every year, and what will grow from them will 

 often hang as shown by the branch with leaves and 

 fruit on." 



The great diversity of opinion which exists 

 among the best grape - growers concerning the ad-- 

 vantages of different systems of training is proof 

 that many systems have merit, and that no one 

 system is better than others for all purposes. The 

 grower must recognize the fact that the most im- 

 portant factor in determining the merits of any 

 system of training is the habit of the vine as its 

 vigor, rate of growth, normal size, relative size and 

 abundance of leaves, and season and character of 

 fruit. Nearly every variety differs from others 

 in some particular habit, and it therefore requires 

 different treatment in some important detail. 

 Varieties may thrive equally well upon the same 



