180 THE GRAPE CULTURIST. 



with ten buds when pruned, and another with but one, 

 for the ten will have the advantage, although those 

 unacquainted with the growth of vines might suppose 

 the results would be quite the opposite. 



There are various other systems of training in which 

 the alternate renewal is the main feature, *r is a part ; 

 but it must be apparent to every one who has ever stud- 

 ied or practiced vine growing, that the less alternate 

 renewal there is in any system the better. It seems to 

 be very difficult to eradicate the idea that one portion of 

 the vine requires a partial rest, while another part is, 

 perhaps, performing more than its due proportion of 

 work, and thereby throwing its forces out of balance. 



Fig. 64 shows a vine trained with horizontal arms, 

 but with alternate single and double fruiting canes ; this 

 is almost the alternate renewal, though at the first glance 

 it would be taken to be a strictly renewal system. The 

 cross lines near the base of the upright canes will show 

 where they are to be pruned to keep up this plan. On 

 the double spur one of the canes is to be cut entirely 

 away, and the other to one bud, and the single cane is 

 cut off at two buds, and where there are now two canes, 

 next year there will be but one ; and the single cane of 

 this season will produce two canes the next, thus alter- 

 nating each year. This plan seems to be a very plausible 

 one ; but when we come to try it, we find that the spurs 

 with two buds are inclined to grow more rapidly than 

 those with only one, for the simple reason that the sap 

 is drawn to that point with two-fold greater power than 

 to the single bud. If all were pruned to one bud, then 

 the sap would be drawn to all alike ; and the same would 

 be the case if all were pruned to any other number, from 

 one upward. A hint upon such points as these will, I 

 think, be sufficient, for it is a very easy matter to try 

 pruning a few vines upon both plans before fully adopt- 

 ing either. 



