62 Fruitgrowing under Irrigation 



permanent arms, and removed at the following- 

 winter's pruning. After trying this system upon 

 vigorously-growing vines for three consecutive 

 seasons, the writer has found this method of prun- 

 ing to yield very satisfactory results in the way of 

 crop returns. For vines that are growing very 

 strongly, especially if they have been planted some- 

 what closely to each other in the rows, the leaving 

 of "drooping spurs" at the extremities of the per- 

 manent arms has a tendency of checking the vines 

 from growing too strongly into each other, as the 

 sap, which generally rushes to the end of the vine, 

 is chiefly utilized in the formation of fruit, rather 

 than in making useless, rampant growth. 



Currant vines that have made very vigorous 

 growth during the spring and summer, and that 

 have their foliage trailing over the ground, thereby 

 interfering with cultivation, have some of their growth 

 removed by means of secateurs, a heavy knife, or 

 even with a sharp sickle; but this pruning should 

 not be so severe as to expose the fruit, especially in 

 its early stages before the sugar has begun to form, 

 to the direct rays of the sun. 



To ensure the setting of their fruit, currant vines 

 are cinctured in the spring when they are shedding 

 their flowers. This is done by running a sharp knife 

 around the stem. On weak vines the knife is just 

 run once around the stem, but on the average strong- 

 growing vine two cinctures are made into the bark 

 of the stem concentric to each other of about one- 

 eighth of an inch apart, and the piece of bark in 

 between these two incisions entirely removed. 



The Gordo. When trellised the Muscat Gordo 

 Blanco is spur-pruned in a similar manner to the 

 currant vine. The permanent arms, however, are 

 not extended for more than 15 inches on either side 

 of the stem, and the spurs are generally not allowed 



