THE GRAPE VINE. 



255 



point, and throw it more into the lateral buds to increase 

 their strength. During the summer no other shoot is 

 allowed to grow but this. 



Pruning. In November or December it is taken down, 

 pruned, if according to the spur system, which is the sim- 

 plest, to within three or four feet of its base, laid on the 

 ground, and cohered with leaves, evergreen boughs, or 

 mats. There it remains till the buds begin to swell in 

 the spring, when it is again fastened to the trellis. The 

 shoot from the terminal bud continues the cane, and no 

 fruit is allowed on it. Those below it produce lateral 

 shoots, from each of which a bunch of grapes may be 

 taken; and each of these must be stopped at two eyes 

 above the bunch ; and this is repeated as often as neces- 

 sary, to give the fruit the whole benefit of the sap. The 

 leading shoot is again stopped in September by pinching 

 off its point, to increase the vigor of its lateral buds. In 

 the fall, when the leaves have dropped, the vine is again 

 taken down. The leader is pruned back to within threo 

 to four feet of the old wood. The laterals that have borne 

 are pruned to three eyes, and it is then covered up. This 

 is the routine of spur training. In long cane pruning, the 

 young shoot, after the first season's growth, is cut back 

 to three eyes, and the next season two shoots are trained 

 up. The next season the strongest is selected for fruit, and 

 pruned to about three feet ; each of the eyes left will 

 produce a fruit shoot, from which one bunch only will be 

 taken. The weaker cane is cut back to one eye, and this 

 produces a shoot for next year's bearing, and so this goes 

 on. When the vine becomes strong, several bearing canes 

 may be provided for every season. This renewal or long 

 cane is very simple, and requires much less cutting than 

 the spur. It also produces a superior quality of fruit, but 

 in general not so large a quantity. 



Thinning the Fruit. When the fruit attains the size 



