THE GRAPE. 303 



The renewal system of training consists 

 in annually providing a fresh supply of 

 young branches from which the bearing 

 shoots are produced, cutting out all the 

 branches that have borne the previous 

 year. Fig. 91 represents a bearing vine . 

 treated in this manner, as it would appear t c s 

 in the spring of the year, after having been 

 pruned. In this figure, a, represents the 

 two branches of last year's growth trained Fi g- 91 - Renewal Train- 

 up for bearing the present year; 5, the 

 places occupied by the last year's wood, which, having borne, 

 has been cut down to within an inch of the main arm, c. The 

 present year, therefore, the two branches, a, will throw out side 

 shoots, and bear a good crop, while the young branches will be 

 trained up in the places of 6, to bear the next year when a are 

 in like manner cut down. 



This renewal training will usually produce fair fruit, chiefly, 

 as it appears to us, because the ascent and circulation of the sap 

 being mainly carried on through young wood, is vigorous, and 

 the plant is healthful and able to resist the mildew, while, on the 

 contrary, the circulation of the sap is more feeble and tardy, 

 through the more compact and rigid sap vessels of a vine full of 

 old wood.* 



The above mode of training is very easily understood, but 

 we may add here for the benefit of the novice ; 1st, that vines, 

 in order that they may bear regularly and well, should always 

 be kept within small bounds ; 2d, that they should always be 

 trained to a wall, building, or upright trellis ;\ and, 3d, that the 

 leaves should never be pulled off to promote the ripening of the 

 fruit. The ends of the bearing shoots may be stopped, (pinched 

 off,) when the fruit is nearly half grown, and this is usually all 

 the summer pruning, that under our bright sun the grape vine 

 properly treated requires. 



Following out this hint, that here, the vine only bears well 

 when it is young, or composed mainly of young wood, an intel- 

 ligent cultivator near us secures every year abundant crops of 

 the Chasselas, by a system of renewal by layers. Every year, 

 from his bearing vines, he lays down two or more long and clean 

 shoots of the previous year's growth. These root freely, are 

 allowed to make another season's growth, and then are made to 

 take the place of the old plants, which are taken out ; and by 

 this continual system o* providing young plants by layers, he al- 

 ways succeeds in obtaining from the same piece of ground fair 

 and excellent grapes. 



* See Hoare on the Grape Vine. 



j- And never on an arbour, except for the purposes of shada 



