BUDS 



79 



74. Pruning vs. no pruning. C. A. Keffer * draws the 

 following conclusions from a series of experiments in 

 pruning. 



Unpruned grape canes give a heavier total yield of fruit the first 

 season neglected than do pruned canes, but the average bunch weight 

 is much less. As the result of over-bearing much of the new growth 

 will die, thus greatly reducing the next crop. 



The base bud in Concord, Niagara, Delaware and Brighton grapes 

 gave the lightest weight of fruit. In Niagara and Delaware the 

 average yield from the second bud was over twice as much as from 

 the first bud, while in 

 Concord and Brighton 

 it was more than half 

 again as much. In all 

 four varieties the yield 

 from the third bud was 

 greater than from the 

 second. Considering the 

 first 12 buds (grape 

 canes are seldom left 

 longer than 12 nodes at 

 pruning), the greatest 

 yield is reached in 

 Concord at the sixth 

 bud, in Niagara and 

 Delaware at the eighth 

 bud, and in Brighton at 

 the tenth bud. 



Arranging the buds 

 in groups of three, 

 Concord gives the best 

 yield from buds 4 to 6 ; 

 Niagara, Delaware and 

 Brighton from buds 7 

 to 9. The relative order 

 of yield for the four 

 groups is as follows : Concord, group 2, 3, 1, 4 ; Niagara, group 

 3, 4, 2, 1 ; Delaware, group 3, 2, 4, 1 ; Brighton, group 3, 4, 2, 1. 



Concord is better adapted than the other varieties named to short- 

 spur systems of pruning and training. In this variety it would prob- 

 ably be more profitable to reduce the number of spurs to the vine 

 and increase the length of the spur to six buds. Niagara and 

 Brighton would seem to be most profitably pruned at the tenth and 

 the twelfth buds. While there is less difference between the yields 

 of buds 1 to 6 and 7 to 12 in Delaware, the indications favor the 

 longer cane. 



FIG. 58 HOW QUINCE BEARS BLOOM 

 Flowers terminal on shoots of the growing sea- 

 son. The main terminal of last year made an at- 

 tempt to produce a fruit, as shown by the abortive 

 mummy. Note that the buds below this mummy 

 have produced new shoots with bloom buds. Thus 

 the blooming wood is only about one month old 

 and the shoot bearing it a year old. 



* Tennessee Experiment Station Bulletin 77. 



