54 Fruitgrowing under Irrigation 



a support, and as the cane grows it is further 

 twisted around the twine until it reaches the height 

 of the trellis, when its top is pinched off. 



Some growers favour cutting the young vines 

 down to a few eyes on a single rod at the first win- 

 ter's pruning, so as to make new vigorous canes 

 that can be utilized as stems in the spring time. 

 This method may be successfully used if calm 

 weather prevails during the spring months; but as 

 the equinoxial gales often blow with great force for 

 days and even weeks at a time, the tender young 

 shoots are apt to be broken off by the force of the 

 wind, and the development of the vine retarded. 

 Therefore, on the whole it is advisable to utilize for 

 stems canes that have made good growth during 

 the first season, and only to cut back for new rods 

 where the growth has been unsatisfactory. 



The sultana vine is trained on the T system, that 

 is, with a straight stem and two short arms, one on 

 each side of the stem running along the bottom 

 wire. 



After the stem of the young vine has been stopped 

 at the bottom wire side shoots 'will grow out from 

 the stem. Two of these, those nearest the wire, are 

 laid or lightly twisted, or, better still, lightly tied on 

 to the wire, one on each side of the vine. These 

 rods form the permanent arms of the vine, and all 

 other growth coming from the stem should be cut 

 off. 



The arm's should be restricted to about 1 foot in 

 length ; but there is some difference of opinion 

 among growers as to what should constitute the 

 ideal length of arm. Some years ago it was the 

 fashion to train sultanas with long arms, 2 feet in 

 length or over; but now the pendulum has swung 

 around to the opposite extreme, and in many in- 

 stances vines are trained with exceedingly short 



