AMERICAN GRAPE TRAINING. 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTION PRUNING. 



Pruning and training the grape are perplexed 

 questions, even to those who have spent a Hfe- 

 time in grape growing. The perplexity arises from 

 several diverse sources, as the early effort to trans- 

 plant European methods, the fact that many sys- 

 tems present almost equally good results for par- 

 ticular purposes and varieties, and the failure to 

 comprehend the fundamental principles of the 

 operations. 



It is sufficient condemnation of European meth- 

 ods when applied in eastern America, to say that 

 the American grapes are distinct species from the 

 European grapes, and that they are consequently 

 different in habit. This fact does not appear to have 

 been apprehended clearly by the early American 

 grape-growers, even after the native varieties had 

 begun to gain prominence. American viticulture, 

 aside from that upon the Pacific slope which is 

 concerned with the European grape, is an industry 

 of very recent development. It was little more 



(9) 



