88 American Grape Training. 



but on the whole, it cannot be recommended. The 

 European post and stake systems or modifications 

 of them, are yet occasionally recommended for 

 American vines, but under general conditions, es- 

 pecially in commercial grape growing, they rarely 

 succeed long. One of the latest recommendations 

 of any of these types is that of the single pole sys- 

 tem of the Upper Rhine Valley, by A. F. Hofer, of 

 Iowa, in a little treatise published in 1878. 



Arbors. — Arbors and bowers are usually formed 

 with little reference to pruning and training. The 

 first object is to secure shade and seclusion, and 

 these are conditions which may seriously interfere 

 with the production of fine grapes. As a rule, too 

 much wood must be allowed to grow, and the soil 

 about arbors is rarely ever cultivated. Still, fair re- 

 sults in fruit can be obtained if the operator makes 

 a diligent use of the pruning shears. It is usually 

 best to carry one main or permanent trunk up to 

 the top or center of the arbor. Along this trunk 

 at intervals of two feet or less, spurs may be left 

 to which the wood is renewed each year. ' If the 

 vines stand six feet apart about the arbor — which 

 is a satisfactory distance — one cane three feet long 

 may be left on each spur when the pruning is done. 

 The shoots which spring from these canes will 

 soon cover up the intermediate spaces. At the 

 close of the season, this entire cane with its lat- 

 erals is cut away at the spur, and another three- 

 foot cane — which grew during the season — is left 



