AND WINE MAKING. 103 



At present Concord, Champion, Cottage, Brighton, 

 Bacchus, Delaware, Elvira, Empire State, Hartford, 

 Moore's Early, Martha, Niagara, Pocklington, Duchess, 

 Worden, Wyoming, Eed and Ulster comprise nearly all 

 the varieties that are grown for market. 



TKAINING THE VINE. 



When grape growing was commenced in this region, 

 there was no established method of training the vine. 

 The single or half dozen vines that had been grown for 

 family use were trained to the side of a building or over 

 a large arbor. For field culture the need of a different 

 system was imperative. Some tried the European plan 

 of short pruning and training to a single stake. The 

 difference" in the habit of the native and foreign vine 

 made this method impracticable. Most growers used 

 numerous stakes set in the row of vines. When the 

 nature and requirements of the vine were carefully stud- 

 ied and this method of training skillfully done, it pro- 

 duced good results. Fuller's "Grape Culturist" in 

 1864 called attention to his modification of the European 

 plan, which still carries his name. This, however, 

 was followed in but few vineyards, as the Kniffin system, 

 which had been introduced ten years before, was given 

 the preference. 



The Kniffin System was originated and practiced 

 by one of the pioneers of grape growing in the Hudson 

 River valley. William Kniffin of ClintOndale, after 

 much consideration, adopted the system of training the 

 vine to two wires suspended and stretched, the one about 

 three and a half, the other about six feet from the 

 ground. A single main stalk is grown from the ground 

 to the upper wire. All buds or branches are broken 

 from this except four, the growth from which is trained 

 to grow along the wires. Usually two are left just below 

 each wire, and as each shoot grows it is loosely fastened 



