GRAPE PRUNING AND TRAINING 353 



of grapes to the foot of main cane. After this year the 

 only pruning is that of the laterals, the main trunk hav- 

 ing reached the top of the house. Mature vines may bear 

 two pounds of grapes to the foot, but there is risk of 

 overdoing this and having the grapes turn sour before 

 getting ripe. Frequent pinching the laterals and sub- 

 laterals is essential to success. This work should be done 

 while the tips are so small that all the pinchings from a 

 vine could be placed in a lady's watch glass and vet not 

 fill it! 



In the long cane system a new cane is annually de- 

 veloped from the base of the plant to replace an older 

 one. Well-established vines may bear fruit from end to 

 end of this cane its first year, but there is more danger 

 of breakage than in the spur system. Laterals are 

 pinched as in the spur system. In late autumn the older 

 cane may be cut close to the ground if it is thought to 

 be failing and the new one laid down as already de- 

 scribed. 



