20 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ February, 



The Farmer cannot al aford to pa the 

 hiest prices. — Von Humbolt. 



PRUNING AND TRAINING OUR GRAPE- 

 VINES.* 



There are various methods of pruning 

 and training the grapevine, and each metliod 

 has had its supporters. Good crops liave also 

 been produced by many of them, undei skill- 

 ful hands, and no doubt will continue to be. 

 The fact is, the grapevine is so productive and 

 fruits so freely, even with ordinary treat- 

 ment, that bad indeed must be the case 

 ■where it ceases to yield its luscious fruit ; yet, 

 while so submissive under ill-usage, and 

 grateful, as it were, for a common existence, 

 like other creatures of nature's highest organi- 

 zation, its expansive powers will become con- 

 tracted and a tractable disposition rendered 

 stubborn by long continued abuse, in which 

 case the quality of the fruit is deteriorated. 

 The bunches are small, or the llavor inferior, 

 and as pruning has something to do with this, 

 particularly the small bunches, it may be well 

 to explain the different modes that are prac- 

 ticed and state the various results attained by 

 them. Although it is best to allow the grape- 

 vine, like all other fruits, to judiciously and 

 periodically extend the superficial surface of 

 the leaves and branches, our arrangements 

 and convenience do not always admit of this 

 desirable consummation being carried out. 

 Such being the case, it behooves us, under 

 the circumstances, not to distort nature any 

 more than we can avoid. In accordance with 

 these views, first, is mentioned the plan we 

 generally adopt. Supposing that we have got 

 a cane of the first summer's growth, cut it 

 back, in length according to thickness ; if 

 very strong, say six feet, or only middling so, 

 two, five, or even four feet ; next commence 

 at the top, leave three eyes, the upper one for 

 the future leader, and the remaining two for 

 the top pair of branches ; cut out the next 

 two, leave the two beneath, and continue on 

 so imtil within eighteen inches of the soil ; 

 below which remove all the bottom, as there 

 is no use in having any fruit lower down. 

 During the next summer the eyes will, if well 

 attended to, form side spurs, which, in their 

 turn, will have to be cut back to two, three, 

 or even four buds, as they may be plump or 

 well developed. Now, when these buds begin 

 to grow we ought to have a shoot from each 

 of them ; and, as only one bunch ought to be 

 allowed to remain on each base, the other 

 shoots will appear so far to be superfluous. 

 Ketam the one at the base, or nearest to the 

 main cane ; and, likewise, that one above it 

 which shows the best bunch ; rub off the 

 others and pinch out the fruit from the lower, 

 and also all excepting the best formed 

 bunches, on the upper. After the fruit is cut 

 and the wood becomes ripe, say two or three 

 weeks before the leaves fall, go over and cut 

 clean away to the base, which leaves the spurs 

 for fruiting the next year as near the main 

 cane as if the close-cut method had been 

 adopted, with the advantage of having spurs 

 which have not been burdened with fruit, and 

 also the probability of future finer bunches; 

 for the most prominent and well-formed buds 

 always brings the best shaped and largest 

 clusters ; and this action gives a better chance 

 of obtaining such. There is no fear of not 

 being able to get shoots from the base, if 

 properly managed, for in most cases adven- 

 ticious buds, and generally more than will be 

 wanted, are developed and have to be rubbed 

 off ; when these side spurs have accumulated, 

 and extend along the whole length to the top 

 of the trellis, there will be a uniform strength 

 over the whole vine. If the canes have previ- 

 ously been disbudded there is no danger of 

 overcrowding, as the following year the bear- 

 ing branch is brought down to the same posi- 

 tion as that of last season, and the other 

 trained more upright into the vacant space. 



All trees have a natural tendency to push 

 the strongest growth to the top and extreme 

 ends, particularly while young and vigorous, 



"Read before the Lancaster County Agricultural and 

 Horticultural Association, by X). Smeych. i 



and if the side branches are very closely cut 

 away, periodically, the sap is directed more 

 strongly upwards, the lateral force is reduced 

 in a corresponding ratio, and the side branches 

 are rendered weak ; this is often seen in the 

 grapevine, and is as often a cause of com- 

 plaint. Now, the above method very much 

 counteracts this evil, as a greater quantity of 

 leaves are encouraged from each individual 

 base, and, of course, a greater draw of fluid is 

 produced into the side branches, which, wheti 

 once established, remain permanent, and so 

 long as the same cause is in existence the flow 

 is ecpialized, the side spurs correspondingly 

 strong the buds become plump and the bunches 

 large! To still further encourage this lateral 

 action it is advisable to take out the overplus 

 buds in the fall, at the same time that the cane 

 is disbudded, for the simple reason that the 

 plants are collecting food and filling up the 

 seemingly latent parts through the winter, 

 excepting when the ground is frozen and the 

 channels of absorption thereby stopped ; con- 

 sequently all the buds receive a due share, 

 although a portion of this stored-up nutri- 

 ment is wasted ; by allowing the useless buds 

 to expand we gain the advantage of encourag- 

 ing a greater flow into the side branches, until 

 the time when the unfolding leaves are en- 

 abled to keep up the action. Another method 

 of spur pruning, and the one most generally 

 practiced, is to allow the cane to extend itself 

 upward each season, as above described, until 

 it reaches the top of the trellis, and retain the 

 side spurs closer and alternately arranged 

 along the cane, each year resting or not allow- 

 ing to bear, every alternate bud or spur, and 

 when pruning the cutting oft' all the spurs close 

 down to one eye, or leaving those for fruiting 

 the following season somewhat longer, and iu 

 the next fall cutting the same spurs close in 

 to the cane, the object being to keep the side 

 branches at home. Very good crops are often 

 produced in this way, with otherwise good 

 treatment, but in the first instance the 

 bunches are generally small ; and although in 

 the latter this is for a few years obviated, still 

 there is the disadvantage of haviug to go 

 back to the main stem, and of trusting entire- 

 ly to the buds which may thus be prompt to 

 push forth. This close cutting weakens down 

 the lateral force of the plant's energy ; in a 

 short time the spurs become weak, and the 

 whole cane has eventuall}' to be cut down, by 

 which, to say the least of it, one year's crop 

 is lost. We are aware that in thus speaking 

 of this walking-stick mode of priming we are 

 going in the face of many good grape-growers, 

 but the fact of things being generallj' fashion- 

 able is no criterion of its excellence ; nature's 

 actions in all of these matters ought to be our 

 guide, and the more we adapt ourselves to lier 

 laws the more permanent will be our success. 

 Sometimes the long-rod metliod is practiced ; 

 in this case the first summer the cane is trained 

 up as in the former mode, only left somewhat 

 longer when pruned, and this suffered to bear 

 a full crop the next season, after which it is 

 cut clean out to one eye from the bottom, 

 another cane having been taken up during the 

 same time from its base, to afterwards take 

 the place of the one last fruited, and so on ; 

 by this plan fine fruit may be obtained, as the 

 bunches emanate from strong buds, which, if 

 they have been previously well ripened, throw 

 off handsome and large clusters ; but there is 

 the evil of having to cut off", at one fell swoop, 

 the half of the plant, having no perennial 

 structural base excepting the very lowest 

 stump ; this wholesale and oft-repeated cut- 

 ting keeps the plant in a continual state of 

 excitement, which is sure to eventually show 

 itself in permanent weakness. And here we 

 have evidence to prove this above-mentioned 

 assertion respecting the shortening of vitality, 

 for a plantation trained on the siuf^le cane, 

 short-cut plan, and every season subjected to 

 this severe lopping, requires occasional re- 

 newing ; such has been my own case that a 

 fresh planting of vines has to be made every 

 three or four years ; now, as this can be pre- 

 vented with so little expense or trouble, and as 

 there is more than a counter-balancing advan- 



tage arising from this system, it is well, in 

 this particular instance, to follow what best 

 answers the purpose in view. 



The renewal method is adopted by some ; 

 the two-year old cane is cut back to about 

 half the height of the trellis, and allowed to 

 bear the next season while fruiting ; the top 

 growth is conducted perpendicularly, and, at 

 the proper time, is pruned off at the top of 

 the trellis ; during the .samesummer another 

 cane is taken up from the bottom, and on one 

 side which is cut back one-half as the other 

 one was the previous year ; the next season 

 this new cane is allowed to fruit, and also the 

 upper part of the first one, the side spurs on 

 the lower half having been cut out ; thus there 

 is a full crop, only each half is on two separate 

 canes. The youngest one is now suffered to 

 grow, and this, in its turn, cut ofl'at the top ; 

 another brought up from the bottom, and the 

 old one cut clean out ; here we have the fruit 

 always borne on young and vigorous wood, 

 which, generally, produces the finest fruit ; 

 no spurring is required, and there is the ad- 

 vantage of a large bulk of leaves and branches, 

 the former of which aftbrds nourishment and 

 promotes the maturity of the roots, but the 

 top requires somewhat more side room, and 

 the vines ought to be planted a little further 

 apart than is necessary where spurring is re- 

 sorted to. Where a vine is allotted only a 

 certain space, this is one of the best methods 

 of training ; but it is unsightly, and if the 

 same advantage can be gained otherwise, and 

 at the same time beauty in appearance, it is 

 certainly desirable to insure both. Now the 

 first described mode accomplishes this object 

 in the grapery, and also retains a large amount 

 of solid structure in the form of a strong, per- 

 manent stem, through which can flow an 

 ample supply of sap to the leaves, and receive 

 back the food elaborated by them down to the 

 roots in a healthy way and without any un- 

 due excitement to the whole organization. 

 But the best of all plans, and also the most 

 natural, is to extend a head somewhat each 

 season, so that finally one vine may cover a 

 large surface. Nature works by certain fixed 

 laws which man cannot alter, and any long- 

 continued attempt to force her from her own 

 course is sure to end in final failure aud dis- 

 appointment. It cannot be denied that much 

 success is obtained by modes of cultivation 

 which would appear to speak to the contrary ; 

 but observe the ultimate result patiently, with 

 care and without prejudice, and all these 

 abuses will tell their own woful story. One 

 of the causes why a grape vine so soon wears 

 out, as it is generally considered to do, is pro- 

 duced by such close pruning as we yearly sub- 

 ject it to ; the volume of the plant is increased 

 for three or four years at first, and afterwards 

 only allowed the same extent of surface. There 

 is no other fruit-bearing plant that would 

 continue to prosjier long with this treatment. 

 Take, for example, a peach or an apple ; allow 

 either the one or the other to produce a long, 

 straight stem of twelve or fifteen feet, and cut 

 in the side branches to an eye ; never suffer it 

 any further extension but what is produced in 

 the summer, again to be cut out, and it would, 

 after a few years' constant excitement, dwindle 

 down to a mere stump, and finally die out ; if 

 the grape vine does not show the same so 

 readily, it is only because of its extremely 

 tenacious constitutional powers, for the same 

 law governs both, and both alike must, sooner 

 or later, arrive at the same imbecile condition. 

 As a vine, if extended over a great space, 

 would only admit of a limited number being 

 grown, it becomes necessary to explain how 

 this may be accomplished. During the inter- 

 val the usual crop may be secured. In plant- 

 ing, place in the centre of the intended row a 

 vine of known good quality ; at intervals of 

 about twelve feet plant others of equal merit, 

 and fill up the vacancies with sorts as fancy 

 may dictate, so that each one may .stand about 

 three feet from the next one ; during the first 

 two seasons train all up as usual. So far we 

 have elongated the surface upwards, and the 

 canes will be near the top of the trellis. In 

 pruning the second ftiU, as there are side spurs 



