American Grape Training. 



tion of the vine is constantly receding from the 

 main trunk. " The bearing wood should spring from 

 near the central portions of the vine, or be kept 

 " near the head," as the grape-growers say. In 

 order to do this, it is customary to allow two canes 

 to grow out each year back of the canes A i and B i, 

 or from the head of the vine ; these canes may be 

 designated C and D. (Fig. 

 3.) These canes, C and D, 

 are grown during 1892 — 

 when they may bear fruit 

 like other canes — for the 

 sole purpose of forming the 

 basis of the bearing top in 

 1893, while all the old top, 

 A and B, with the second- 

 fary canes, A i, A 2, B i, 

 B 2, B 3, etc. , is cut entirely 

 away. Here, then, are two 

 distinct methods of forming the bearing top for the 

 succeeding year: either from spurs, which are the 

 remains of the previous top ; or from renewals, 

 which are taken each year from the old wood near 

 the head of the vine, or even from the ground. Re- 

 newals from the ground are now little used, how- 

 ever, for they seldom give a sufficient crop unless 

 they are headed in the first fall and are allowed to 

 bear the second year. It should be borne in mind 

 that the spur and renewal methods refer entirely to 

 pruning, not to training, for either one can be used 



4. SPUR. 



