CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



121 



the growth is liable to become tangled and excessive. 

 Various other plans have been suggested for the purpose 

 of checking the flow of sap and developing fruit. The 

 bow-system has been in use in Ohio to a considerable 

 extent, having been introduced by Germans accustomed 

 to the practice in Europe. 

 It consists in training two 

 canes, one of which is 

 of the previous season's 

 growth, and which is the 

 present fruiting-cane ; the 

 other being the growth of 

 this season, and designed 

 to replace the other cane, 

 which is cut away as soon 

 as the fruit is matured. 

 Figure 21 illustrates the Fig. 21. 



mode. The bow is often varied in form, being sometimes 

 bent to a complete hoop. Of course, the flow of sap will 

 be checked by this process. Among other objections, the 

 one which I should regard as final is the annual expendi- 

 ture of so much energy in producing new canes. It 

 would be possible to train vines in the form of a tree, 

 as seen in fig. 22. The annual growth is to be cut back 



