SUMMER PRUNING OF VINES 



359 



of the hot sun and is very liable to injury. This injury does not 

 show by the peeling off of the bark as with fruit trees, but by 

 a general weakening and dwarfing of the vine. 



The shoots coming from the upper half of the cane are to 

 form the spurs for the following winter pruning, and can often 

 be left to grow without further treatment. 



Fig. 4. An ideal three-year-old vine after pruning. 



If the growth is very rapid and succulent, however, it is neces- 

 sary to pinch them, or the first heavy wind may break them off 

 (see Fig. 2, c). 



Pinching consists in the removal of 1 or 2 inches of growth 

 at the extreme tip of the shoot. This delays the growth in length 

 temporarily and gives the shoot time to strengthen its tissues 

 before its length gives too much leverage to the wind. This 

 pinching usually has to be repeated at least once. 



Pinching may be replaced by topping a few weeks later, but 

 the latter is somewhat weakening to the vine. 



In all summer pruning that is, removal of green shoots and 

 leaves of young vines, two things should be kept in mind : First, 

 that all summer pruning is weakening; second, that the object 

 of summer pruning of young vines is to direct the growth as 



