

GRAPE PRUNING AND TRAINING 339 



soil where they were formed. The result is they make a much more 

 prompt and early start and will produce a much larger growth than 

 the first season. Hence they require very careful attention from the 

 pruner during the spring and summer of the second season. Vines 

 neglected at this time, in this respect, may make as large a growth, 

 but a large part of it will be wasted, the vines will be misformed 

 and it will require one to two years longer to develop a suitable 

 framework and to bring them into bearing, even though they are 

 properly handled during subsequent years. The more vigorous the 

 vines, the more necessary it is to handle them properly during this 

 period. 



The main object during this second growing season is to develop 

 a single, strong, vigorous and well-ripened cane from which to form 

 the permanent trunk of the vine. This is done by concentrating all 

 the energies of the vine into the growth of a single shoot. As soon 

 as the buds start, or when the most precocious has developed a shoot 

 of a few inches, the vines should be disbudded. This consists in 

 rubbing off with the hand all buds and shoots except the two largest 

 and best placed. The lowest upright shoots are usually the best. 

 Leave only those which will make a straight vine. It is better to 

 leave less-developed buds than a shoot which, when it grows, will 

 make an awkward crook with the underground stem. 



After this disbudding, the two shoots left will grow rapidly, as 

 they receive all the energies of the root system. When the longest 

 have grown 10 to 15 inches, they should be tied to the stake. Un- 

 less this is done, they are likely to be broken off by any heavy wind, 

 owing to their soft, succulent texture. Only the best placed and most 

 vigorous of the two shoots should be tied up. If this shoot is grow- 

 ing upright and near the stake, this can be done without any danger 

 of injuring it. In this case the second shoot should be removed. If 

 the shoot has to be bent over in tying it to the stake it may be in- 

 jured. In such a case the second shoot should be allowed to grow 

 until it is known whether the first has been injured. In case of 

 injury the second shoot may be tied up the next time the vines are 

 visited and the injured shoot removed. 



At the tying up of the reserved shoots, all new shoots which have 

 developed since the first disbudding should be removed. As they 

 are soft and easily injured the shoots should be tied up loosely 

 after being brought around carefully to the windward side of the 

 stake. 



They will require tying once more when they have grown an- 

 other foot or 18 inches. There will then be two ties, one at 2 or 3 

 inches from the top of the stake and the other at about the middle. 

 If the vines have a tall stake and are to be headed very high, an- 

 other tying higher up may be needed later. 



With vines making only a moderate growth, no other pruning 

 will be needed until the winter. Exceptionally vigorous vines, how- 

 ever, may make a cane 8, 10 or more feet long. Such a cane is 

 heavy and is very likely to break the cords by which it is attached 



