GRAPE MANUAL. 



Pruning. 43 



second season (the cross lines through the canes 

 showing where they are cut off or pruned). 



Another good mode of training, recommended 

 by Fuller, is to bend down in fall, at the end 

 of the second season, the two main canes of the 

 vines (the laterals of which have been pinched 

 back to concentrate the growth into these main 

 canes) in opposite directions, laying and tying 

 them against the lower wire or bar of the trel- 

 lis, as shown in Fig. 63, and shortening them 

 to four feet each. Then let five or six of the 

 buds on the upper side of the arms be grown 

 into upright canes. (See Fig. 68.) All buds 

 and shoots not wanted for upright canes should 

 be rubbed or broken off. This latter method is 

 not well adapted for varieties which require 

 covering in winter. Where the canes are 

 started lower, near the ground, and cut loose 

 from the wire, they can be easily covered with 

 earth. 



Fig. 68. 



At the commencement of the third season (un- 

 cover and) tie the canes to the trellis. For 

 tying, any soft string or stout woolen yarn, the 

 shreds of old gunnies, may be used ; some ob- 

 tain their tying material from bass wood-bark, 

 soaked for two weeks or longer in running 

 water. Others plant the Golden Willow, and 

 use its small twigs for tying purposes. Tie 

 closely, and as young canes grow keep them 

 tied, but, in all cases, take care against tying 

 too tightly, as the free flow of sap may be ob- 

 structed. 



The ground is now plowed and hoed again, 

 as before. One (6'') deep plowing in spring, 

 taking care, however, not to cut or tear the 

 roots of the vines, and two more shallow (3'' or 

 4") plo wings in summer. From each of the 

 buds left at the last pruning (as shown in the 

 preceding figures), canes can be grown during 

 the third year, and each of these canes will 

 probably bear two or three bunches of fruit. 

 There is danger of their being injured by over- 

 bearing, on which account the bunches should 

 be thinned out by taking away all imperfect 

 bunches and feeble shoots. In order to secure 

 future fruitfulness of the vine, and at the same 



time to keep it in our convenient control, we 

 should allow no more wood to grow than we 

 need for next seasons' bearing, and for this 

 purpose we resort to spring pruning, generally, 

 though improperly, called 



SUMMER PRUNING. 



The time to perform the first summer pruning 

 is when the young shoots are about six inches 

 long, and when you can plainly see all the 

 small bunches the embryo fruit. We com- 

 mence at the two lower spurs, having two buds 

 each, and both started. One of them we intend 

 for a bearing cane next summer, therefore 

 allow it for the present to grow unchecked, 

 tying it, if long enough, to the lowest wire. 

 The other, which we intend for a spur again 

 next fall, we pinch with the thumb and finger 

 to just beyond the last bunch or button, taking 

 out the leader between the last bunch and the 

 next leaf, as shown in Fig. 69, 

 the cross line indicating 

 where the leader is to be 

 pinched ofF We now come 

 to the next spur, on the op- 

 posite side, where we also 

 leave one cane to grow un- 

 checked, and pinch off the 

 other. 



We now go over all the 

 shoots coming from the arms 

 or laterals tied to the trellis, 

 and also pinch them beyond 



Fig. 69. 



the last bunch. Should any of the buds have 

 pushed out two shoots, we rub off the weakest ; 

 we also take off all barren or weak shoots 

 which may have started from the foot of the 

 vine. 



The bearing branches having all been 

 pinched back, we can leave our vines alone 

 until after the bloom, only tying up the young 

 canes from the spurs, should it become neces- 

 sary. Do not, however, tie them over the bear- 

 ing canes, but lead them to the empty space on 



