148 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



neglected vines can rarely be reshaped and restored to their 

 pristine vigor. If the old vines seem capable of throwing out 

 a strong new growth, it is almost always better to grow a new 

 top by taking out canes from the roots and so rejuvenate. 

 The energy and activity of Nature are seldom seen to better 

 advantage than in these new tops, if the old tops are cut back 

 severely and the vineyard given good care. The new canes 

 grow with the gusto of the biblical bay tree, making it diffi- 

 cult oftentimes to keep them within bounds. 



Usually this new top can be treated essentially as if it were 

 a new vine. Not infrequently the cane will make sufficient 

 growth and mature well enough so that it may be left as a 

 permanent trunk at the end of the first season. If, however, 

 the wood is short, weak and soft, it should be cut back in the 

 autumn to two or three buds from one of which a permanent 

 trunk can be trained the next season from which a good top 

 can be formed in another season. The old top is discarded as 

 soon as the new trunk is tied to the trellis. Old vineyards are 

 often rejuvenated in this way to advantage and return profits 

 to their owners for years ; but if the soil is poor and the vines 

 weak, attempts to renew the tops seldom pay. 



Occasionally rejuvenating old vines by pruning is worth 

 while. When such an attempt is made, it is best to cut back 

 severely at the winter-pruning, leaving two, three or four 

 canes, depending on the method of training, of six, eight or 

 ten buds. The amount of wood left must depend on the vigor 

 of the plant and the variety. The success of such rejuvenation 

 depends much on selecting suitable places on the old vine from 

 which to renew the bearing wood. It requires good judgment, 

 considerable skill and much experience to rejuvenate success- 

 fully an old vineyard by remodeling the existing top, and if 

 the vines are far gone with neglect it is seldom worth while. 



Sometimes old vines or even a whole vineyard can be re- 

 juvenated most easily by grafting. This is particularly true 





