TIME TO PRUNE VINES. 153 



the upright wire be both equal distances from the base 

 of the wire. The vine should be made as straight as 

 possible, so that the sap shall not be checked in its flow. 

 If it is not disposed to be straight, a lath should be nailed 

 on, reaching at the proper angle from the lower to the 

 upper bar, and the vine tied to it. When the buds start, 

 select five or six for the upright canes, the same as when 

 the arms are trained horizontally. 



The first upright may start a few inches below the 

 lower bar, as shown in the engraving, or the bar may be 

 placed at six inches above the ground, provided the soil 

 about the base of the vine is kept covered with mulch 

 to keep the fruit clean. Each of the uprights will pro- 

 duce fruit, but unless the vine is very strong, a portion 

 of it should be removed. 



The flow of sap will sometimes cause the upper 

 shoots to grow a little faster than the lower ones ; if so, 

 pinch oif the ends so soon as the fifth leaf is formed on 

 them, and leave the lower canes until they have eight or 

 nine leaves. The growth of the canes will usually be 

 very regular when the vines are laid in straight, and at 

 the angle named. At the end of the second year the 

 bearing canes should be pruned to two buds ; the cross 

 lines at , Fig. 52, show the point where to cut off. 



As the vines are to be protected, there is no neces- 

 sity for leaving an extra bud to be cut off in spring, as 

 recommended for unprotected vines. In locations where 

 it is necessary to protect vines, the warm weather usually 

 comes on so rapidly after it commences, that it would 

 not do to prune the vines after they are uncovered. 



The next season two canes are produced from the 

 two buds, and in the fall the cane which starts from the 

 upper bud of the two is removed, cutting through the 

 spur, as previously shown, and the other cane cut back 

 to two buds ; the cross line at c, Fig. 53, shows the point 

 at which it should be removed. Upon the right hand 



