200 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



to a bud as close as possible to the main stem. The vines are 

 then put down for the winter as at the close of the first season. 



The work of the third season is a repetition of that of the 

 second, with the exception that the vine is permitted to fruit 

 throughout its whole length, although not more than one 

 pound of fruit to a foot of main vine is permitted. The plants 

 are now established and the only pruning in this and succeeding 

 years is to cut the laterals at the close of each season close to 

 the main stem, leaving strong healthy buds of which at least 

 one, usually more, will be found close to the stem. If more 

 than one bud starts, only the strongest is chosen, although 

 often an extra one is needed to fill a vacancy on the opposite 

 side. After the third or fourth season, depending somewhat 

 on the variety, two pounds of fruit or more to the foot of the 

 main stem can be permitted. The novice, however, is likely 

 to permit his vines to overbear with the result that the crop 

 is cast, or the berries rattle, or the fruit turns sour before ripen- 

 ing. From the beginning to the finish of the season, in this 

 method of pruning, much pinching of laterals is required. No 

 hard and fast rule can be laid down for this pinching, but, 

 roughly speaking, all new growth beyond the second joint 

 from the cluster should be pinched out as fast as it shows. 

 With most varieties, this means that the lateral is kept about 

 eighteen inches from the main stem. After a few years, well- 

 developed spurs form at the base of the original laterals, and 

 from these spurs the new wood comes year after year. 



An alternative method of pruning is to permit the new canes 

 to grow up from a bud near the ground each season. When 

 the vine is well established, this new cane is fruited through- 

 out its entire length, the laterals being pinched as described 

 under the spur method. This method of pruning is known as 

 "the long cane method/' Gardeners hold that they can grow 

 better fruit with this than with the spur method, but the diffi- 

 culties are greater and the crop is not as large. 



