150 THE GRAPE CULTURIST. 



This fact should be borne in mind, that the expan- 

 sion and multiplication of roots depends as much upon 

 the extent and number of branches that are allowed to 

 grow, as the growth of the branches does upon that of 

 the roots. 



Therefore to control the whole plant we have only 

 to control the top, and this is done chiefly by checking 

 the branches while growing, for if the vine is allowed to 

 perfect its canes, it will certainly perfect a correspond- 

 ing number of roots, each of which is capable of absorb- 

 ing a certain quantity of nutriment, and sending it up- 

 ward into the branches ; and every year that the vine is 

 allowed to grow unchecked, so much more does it in- 

 crease the difficulty of bringing it under control. 



Oblique Arms. In many parts of the country 

 the grape vine is not sufficiently hardy to withstand the 

 cold of winter without protection, and there are very 

 few locations in the Northern States where this would 

 not be beneficial to many of the varieties now in cultiva- 

 tion. Even if the vine itself is not materially injured, 

 the fruit buds are often so weakened by cold that they 

 fail to produce as much or as good fruit as they other- 

 wise would. With the systems of training that I have 

 given, and others frequently adopted, it is not only 

 inconvenient to protect the vines, but it would also be 

 very expensive. There is no method of protection that 

 is so cheap or practical as that of laying down the vines 

 and covering them with earth ; but to do this they must 

 be trained in such a manner that they may be bent 

 down without breaking the main stem, or otherwise 

 injuring them. 



When trained with the two arms they cannot be 

 laid down without bending the main stem over to one 

 side, which would be difficult to do, particularly after 

 the vine has become large. The vine may be trained 

 with one arm, and this could be laid down more conven- 



