GRAPE PRUNING AND TRAINING 



295 



fruitfulness, and vice versa. Disregard of this principle 

 may result either in over-bearing and premature exhaus- 

 tion or in inferior yields, even practical sterility. Correct 

 management invigorates the vine to the highest possible 

 degree without reducing the crop. 



c. Excessive foliage and small yield usually go hand 

 in hand ; and, conversely, excessive fruit and reduced 

 foliage are partners. 



d. Injuring the tissues bending, twisting, etc. tends 



FIG. 254 VINES GROWING IN VINEYARD THE FIRST YEAR 



Shoots are tied to stakes to keep them off the ground and thus protect them from 



whipping by the wind and from cultivating tools. 



to reduce vegetative vigor and, except when excessive, 

 to increase productivity (103). 



e. Terminal buds and shoots farthest from the main 

 head usually develop most actively. Hence, to prevent 

 this and to keep the vines within bounds, such buds arid 

 growths must be removed or methods adopted to check 

 the sap flow so buds and shoots nearer the head will de- 

 velop well. Various methods of pruning and training 

 are faulty because they disregard this principle. They 

 cannot be followed indefinitely. The vertical tying of 

 fruiting canes to stakes is one of the most common of 

 these faulty methods. 



f. The more nearly vertical a shoot the more will.be' 



