74 American Grape Training. 



the yina ends in a T-shaped head, which is well 

 displayed in the vine at the extreme right in the 

 foreground in fig. 30. From this T-head, five canes 

 are carried out from spurs. It was formerly the 

 practice to carry out six canes, one in each direc- 

 tion upon each wire, but this was found to supply 

 too much wood. Now two canes are carried in one 

 direction and three in the other ; and the positions 

 of these sets are alternated each year, if possible. 

 The canes which are left after the winter pruning 

 are tied along the wires in spring, as in the Kniffin, 

 and the shoots hang over the wires. The chief 

 advantage of this training is that it allows of the 

 growing of bush-fruits between the rows, as seen in 

 fig. 29. It is also said that the clusters, hang so 

 free that the bloom is not injured by the twigs or 

 leaves, and the fruit is protected from sun and frost. 

 Every post must be large and firmly set, however, 

 adding much to the cost of the trellis. Several 

 styles similar to this are in use, one of the best be- 

 ing the Crittenden system, of Michigan. In this 

 system, the trellis is low, not exceeding four or five 

 feet, and the vines cover a flat-topped platform two 

 or three feet wide. 



The Cross-Wire System. — Another high Kniffin 

 training, and which is also confined to the vicinity 

 of Marlboro', New York, is the Cross-Wire, repre- 

 sented in figs. 31 and 32. Small posts are set eight 

 fe3t apart each way, and a single wire runs from the 

 top of post to post — six and one-half feet from the 



