TRAINING GRAPES IN EASTERN AMERICA 147 



"During the first season the trunk of the vine should be 

 established. From this the main fruiting branches are started 

 the second season. These, under favorable circumstances, 

 will bear a small crop of fruit the third season. After that the 

 purpose of pruning should be to renew growth, to increase or 

 decrease the bearing surface, and to maintain the shape of the 

 vine. 



"Severe pruning usually removes most of the fruit-bearing 

 wood and throws the vine into vigorous wood growth. No 

 pruning, on the other hand, causes a growth which is too much 

 distributed, weak, and incapable of bearing good crops. There- 

 fore, the grape grower should study the vines sufficiently to 

 enable him to judge each year the proper severity of pruning 

 for the best results. This will depend on the variety, the 

 age of the vines, the fertility of the soil, etc. Muscadine 

 grapes bear their fruit in small clusters. It is therefore neces- 

 sary to maintain a large fruiting surface in order to secure a 

 proper tonnage of fruit. This is accomplished by developing 

 a series of fruiting arms, spurring along these, and lengthening 

 them as the vines become stronger. Such fruiting arms can 

 be maintained for a number of years, but after a time it is 

 desirable to renew them. This is done by cutting out the arm 

 and starting a new one from a cane that has been previously 

 grown for such purposes. It is preferable to renew systemat- 

 ically only one or, at most, two arms on a vine each year. 

 This gradual renewal does not disturb the vigor of the vine, 

 but keeps it productive, healthy, and strong. The pruning 

 can be quickly and easily done if systematically practiced from 

 the time the vines are started." 



REJUVENATING OLD VINES 



When pruning and training are neglected, a vineyard soon 

 becomes a sorry company of halt and maimed vines. These 



