SYSTEMS OF PRUNING AND TRAINING. 183 



only an extension of the head, or upper part of the vine, 

 and all the sap from the roots flows through this old 

 wood. If all the arms, whether their number be few or 

 many, are pruned to equal lengths, and the buds re- 

 duced to an equal number on each, we might claim 

 something like a "perfect balance," provided that all 

 the buds were at the top of the vine and on the same 

 level. This is the true principle upon which all success- 

 ful systems of training and pruning of the vine have 

 been founded, in all ages and countries where the grape 

 is known to flourish. It makes but little difference, in 

 practice, whether we prune our vines down to a stump 

 two feet high, and keep them there for one or one hun- 

 dred years, as so long practiced in Europe, in what is 

 called the "buck pruning/' or train them up on trees or 

 the rafters of a grapery, on the "long rod system," or 

 lay down the canes and form permanent arms, as in the 

 "Thomery system," one and all will produce equally as 

 good results ; the only difference consists in the adapta- 

 tion to locations, soils, climates, and the convenience of 

 the cultivator. 



In early life I was somewhat inclined to believe that 

 our indigenous native specie? of the grape might rebel 

 against the restricted growth to which the varieties of 

 the European species have long been subjected, and 

 to test the matter practically, I selected a few vines of 

 our most rampant growing native varieties, with which 

 to make experiments. The first of these was a Clinton, 

 which all my teachers and later associates declared would 

 not submit to close pruning. However, I selected a 

 strong vine, and the first season cut the main stem down 

 to about four feet from the ground, and then tied it to a 

 strong stake. Every year since it has been "buck 

 pruned," not more than one or two buds at the base of 

 the long canes being left to produce fruit and new canes. 

 It has never failed to produce an excellent crop of fruit 



