60 Fruitgrowing under Irrigation 



better to use these as fruiting wood and to spur the 

 rods closer in to the middle of the vine. By this 

 means the sap is prevented from all rushing to the 

 end of the arms, forcing out vigorous growth there, 

 and by starving the buds near the centre of the 

 vine, tending to make that portion of the vine bar- 

 ren. For a similar reason the rods at the end of an 

 arm should never be spurred, as the sap would be 

 enticed to flow there ; but if not wanted for fruiting 

 the end rods should be cut right off. 



White Malaga. The white malaga is usually 

 pruned like the sultana, but with somewhat shorter 

 rods of about 2 feet in length. Some growers have 

 also achieved very satisfactory results by leaving 

 numerous short rods, or rather long spurs of about 

 four buds in length besides the usual single-bud 

 spurs to supply fruiting wood for the following- 

 season. 



SPUR-PRUNED VARIETIES. 



The Currant. At the first winter's pruning after 

 it has been put upon the trellis the arms of the 

 young currant vine are cut back to one to two feet 

 from the stem, according to the strength of the 

 vine. If the young growth has been twisted on to 

 the wire during the summer, it should now be un- 

 twisted and lightly tied to the wire with strong 

 twine. No growth of any vine should ever be left 

 twisted around the wire for more than one season, 

 as the arm in thickening is prevented from expand- 

 ing where it touches the wire, and is therefore 

 indented at such places and greatly injured in 

 consequence. 



At each winter's pruning the arms of the vine are 

 lengthened until they reach the arms of the vines 

 next to it. It is usually not advisable to extend the 

 length of the arms too rapidly, and a foot per year 

 is generally found sufficient in most instances. 



