218 HORTICULTURE FOR SCHOOLS 



Since the primary object in pruning is to secure a maximum 

 yield of choice fruit, the first question which naturally arises 

 is where the bunches of grapes are found on the growing vine. 

 These bunches are not borne on old wood. They are not on 

 shoots which arise from wood more than two years old. That 

 is, there is no fruit on water-sprouts or suckers. The fruit 

 occurs on shoots arising from buds on canes of the previous 

 season's growth. As a rule, the first, second, and third nodes 

 of the shoot indicate the points at which the bunches of 

 grapes will develop, though sometimes they are found farther 

 out. 



For those vines which bear their fruit in the lower nodes 

 of the shoot, the method of pruning used is called the spur or 

 short system, while in the case of those varieties which bear 

 the grapes farther out on the shoot, the cane or long system 

 is the one employed. 



328. Spur-pruning. For the European vinifera grape, 



Fig. 114 illustrates the spur sys- 

 tern. The arm is shown attached 

 to the trunk of the vine. At the 

 extremity of this arm are two 

 canes A and B. These two canes 

 have, during the season just 



!$[ /JL^^SS*^ closed, borne fruit. In pruning, 

 ij^^S^^^ T one f them, usually the outer, or 

 t fljfrS A, is removed entirely. The 



FIG 114. Unit of short prun- Other, B, is CUt back to tWO Or 



three or four eyes, for example at 



the point X, leaving a fruit-spur of one, two, or three buds. 

 When growth starts on this spur, shoots will develop from each 

 of these buds; these shoots will bear fruit, and they will in turn 

 be treated next year as A and B have been treated this season. 

 Year by year the fruit-bearing portion of the arm gradually 

 extends outward as can readily be seen. It is necessary for 

 cultivation and other reasons to keep this arm shortened to 



