10 



BULLETIN 856, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



with the work of ringing, the vines need to be trained to carry them- 

 selves without support at the age of fruiting. If stool pruning to 



fairly high heads is not practicable 

 and no better way is found, the same 

 purpose may be- accomplished by 

 pruning so as to leave the canes long 

 enough to permit bending and tying 

 to form a self-supporting circle, as 

 shown in figure 2. 



Experiments are now being made 

 to determine the methods of pruning, 

 training, and culture necessary for 

 the best results. It would be an easy 

 matter, of course, to select a trellis 

 system of training that would adapt 

 itself to the growing of the currant- 



FiG. 1 — A grapevine pruned to canes. 



grape varieties if it should be 

 determined that it is best to 

 prune them long and train 

 them to a trellis, as is recom- 

 mended in California Experi- 

 ment Station Bulletin 298, 

 entitled " The Seedless Raisin 

 Grapes." 



Fio. 2. — A grapevine pruned to long canes, 

 the canes afterwards being bent in a circle 

 as a support. 



RINGING THE VINES. 



It has been found that in order to make the blooms set and secure 

 full yearly crops of grapes the vines must be ringed every year. 



