PRUNING THE GRAPE IN EASTERN AMERICA 113 



rope more especially, but is seldom or never practiced in Amer- 

 ica except when planting and when roots arise from the cion 

 above the union of stock and cion. 



Summer-pruning to induce fruitfulness consists in removing 

 new shoots with newly developed leaves. These young shoots 

 have been developed from reserve material stored up the pre- 

 ceding season, and until they are so far developed that they can 

 perform the functions of leaves they are to be counted as para- 

 sites. When, therefore, these shoots are pruned or pinched 

 away, the plant is robbed of the material used by the lusty shoot 

 which up to this time has given nothing in return. The vigor 

 of the plant is thus checked and fruitfulness increased. Sum- 

 mer-pruning may become harmful if delayed too long. The 

 time to prune is past with the grape when the leaves have passed 

 from the light green color of new growth to the dark green of 

 mature leaves. 



Fruit-bearing may be augmented by bending, twisting or 

 ringing the canes, since all of these operations diminish vegeta- 

 tive vigor. Ringing is the only one of these methods in general 

 use, and this only for some special variety or special purpose, 

 and usually with the result that the vigor of the vine is dimin- 

 ished too much for the good of the plant. Ringing is discussed 

 more fully in Chapter XVI. 



The manner of fruit-bearing in the grape. 



Before attempting to prune, the pruner must understand 

 precisely how the grape bears its crop. The fruit is borne near 

 the base of the shoots of the current season, and the shoots are 

 borne on the wood of the previous year's growth coming from 

 a dormant bud. Here is manifested one of Nature's energy- 

 saving devices, shoot, leaves, flowers and fruit spring in a short 

 season from a single bud. In the light of this fact, pruning 

 should be looked on as a simple problem to be solved mathe- 

 matically and not as a puzzle to be untangled, as so many re- 



