8 



BULLETIN 349, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



shoots from the spurs left for the purpose. These shoots are used as 

 fruiting canes the following year, new spurs being left to grow canes 

 for the next year. In the second method the pruning is the same and 

 the same objects are accomplished, but a trellis is used on which the 

 fruiting canes are placed in a horizontal position and tied to the 

 trellis wires (PL II, fig. 1) . The Sultanina variety also has a tendency 

 to send out suckers, water sprouts, and sterile shoots. For that reason 



the vines should be carefully gone 

 over several times after the young 

 shoots start, to remove undesirable 

 growths. 



RAISIN VARIETIES. 



The raisin varieties are all Vinif- 

 eras, therefore they are not resistant 

 to phylloxera, and for this reason 

 they should be grown on phylloxera- 

 resistant stocks to make permanent, 

 durable vineyards. 



The principal raisin variety grown 

 is the Alexandria (PI. III). This 

 has numerous synonyms, but is so 

 well known in this country as Alex- 

 andria that no other names need now 

 be given. . 



Ripens midseason. Color yellow- 

 ish green; when fully ripe, flushed 

 with amber. Cluster straggling, long, 

 loose, and never compact even when 

 perfect. Stem long, reddish brown; 

 pedicel thick, warty, yellowish, one- 

 half inch long. Berry large, five- 

 eighths by 1 inch long, tapering 

 toward pedicel, sometimes slightly flattened at apex; surface 

 smooth, yellowish green; bloom white; adherence excellent. Skin 

 tough and thick. Flesh meaty, firm, fairly juicy. Seeds one 

 to four, long, reddish brown. Flavor spicy, fruity, and rich. Vine 

 robust, with small-furrowed, light-yellow wood, dotted with black. 

 Leaves five-lobed, medium size, thick, leathery, smooth, rather deeply 

 serrated, slightly elongated, light green, slightly glossy above, gray 

 yellowish green underneath ; veins thin, red at base ; leaf stem longer 

 than midrib of leaf; petiolar sinus open. 



This is the most important raisin variety. It is also a very im- 

 portant shipping grape r as it carries well, looks well, and many ad- 



Fig. 3. — A grapevine pruned to long 

 canes, the canes afterwards being 

 bent in a circle on the support. 



