46 THE GRAPB. 



Tie the cane as it grows to the stakes or wires, and if it grows 

 rapidly pinch off the top once when it reaches the upper wire. In 

 carrying out some systems two canes are permitted to grow this 

 year, but the system best adapted to commercial vineyards is prac- 

 tically as follows: The pruning in the fall of the second year 

 should consist ift cutting off all the laterals— in other words in cut- 

 ting off all the side branches close to the main cane. In pruning 

 the main cane leave about two-thirds of the growth it has made, 

 but not more than four feet long. The vine should then be buried 

 as directed for the previous year, and it will be found convenient 

 to bend it as low as possible. To do this to the best advantage 

 take away a little soil from near the vine, to permit part of the 

 bend to come near the ground. As the vines get older and stiffer 

 they will be found to bend most easily and safely below ground. 



Fig. 33.— Vine in autumn of the third season. Dotted lixes show where 

 pruning should be done. 



Third Season.— The third spring the cane should be tied along 

 the lower wire (see Fig. 32) . If it has wintered well two shoots 

 will start at nearly every joint. As soon as these are three or four 

 inches long the weakest should be broken off and only the strongest 

 ones, that come about ten inches apart, be allowed to grow. In 

 selecting these shoots preference should always be given to those 

 coming out on the upper side of the main cane. As these shoots 

 push upwards from the main cane they should be tied to the wires 

 (see Fig. 33) , and when they have reached the top of the trellis 

 each of them should be pinched off at the end. This pruning will 

 check the growth a little and result in the fruit buds being formed 

 nearer the main cane than they would if not checked. Further 

 pinching is sometimes practiced when the finest bunches of fruit 

 are wanted, but for practical purposes one pinching is enough, and 



