112 



A vine is pruned long if one or more of these shoots are left, each 

 of which has on it more than five buds. 



It would be most foolish to short prune a vine having its prolific 

 buds situated as represented in Fig. 31, as little or no fruit would be 

 obtained. It would be just as foolish to long prune, or leave a long 

 rod on a sort where the buds at the base were alone prolific. The 

 others bearing no fruit would only develop themselves at the expense 

 of the prolific ones, and thus be worse than useless. 



With a vine of the third description (one on which all the buds are 

 prolific) it is a matter of indifference which method of pruning be 

 adopted, provided a sufficient number of buds is left on each vine. 

 This is in turn regulated to a great extent by the climate. 



Many erroneous ideas are held with reference to long pruning. 

 From what has been said above, it will be seen that its adoption is 

 chiefly regulated by the sorts of vine grown. In addition to this there 

 are other considerations such as the strength of the wine which 

 ought to influence the selection of the style to be adopted when one 

 has to deal with sorts suited to either long or short pruning. 



Before describing the different methods of pruning, it will be well 

 to briefly recapitulate the laws which govern this most important 

 operation, some of which we are already familiar with. 



First. Within certain limits, the production of fruit is increased if 

 the vigour of the plant be diminished (page 2). 



Second. The activity of vegetation on any branch is always greatest 

 on the part of that branch farthest from the parent stem (page 4). 



Third. The activity of vegetation is greatest in a vertical shoot; 

 the production of fruit greatest in a horizontal one. 



Fourth. The greater the number of shoots the lesser will the 

 individual development of each be, and the greater the number of 

 shoots the lesser the production of fruit on each, and vice versa (up to 

 a certain limit). 



Fifth. The greater the quantity of fruit on a vine the smaller the 

 percentage of sugar will it contain. 



Before pruning, a point must be mentioned which does not 

 receive sufficient attention at the hands of our vignerons : this is 



