Pruning and Training the Vines 



«Q.il Gal.viu\.\»& VfivF. 



'Saiigi»Si«^ 



The Munson Three-Wire Canopy Trellis and Renewar System Training 

 Drawn and Described by the Inventor 



Figure 1 shows plant when set, cut back to two eyes. 



Figure 2 shows the vine at end of first season's growth,' trained in one cane, up twine, to 

 lower (center) wire. To be cut back to a in fall and to be likewise trained second season, when 

 it will be much stronger, ready to bear a small crop, as shown in Figure 2, and larger in Figure 4. 

 But if the vine has made a very strong growth it may be cut at /./. 



Figure 3 shows the vine, after second season's growth, pruned and tied — arms 6 6 to be left 

 longer or shorter according to vigor of vine. The vine should not be allowed to bear more than 

 two or three clusters the year previous to this — that is, the second season, when cut back at /./. 

 There are ten buds shown on the pruned arms beyond the first ties next the crotch, to be allowed 

 to bear. Counting three clusters to each makes 30 clusters — enough for first crop. 



Figure 4 shows vine in bearing, third season's growth, when the first profitable crop may be 

 expected. (Foliage omitted from figure to show branching arms clearly.) In the following fall — 

 November or December — the two bearing arms r r should be cut off at d d and the four new arms 

 c cut back according to strength of vine and tied as in Figure 5. They should be started near 

 crotch of vine and not allowed to bear nor be pinched back as are the bearing shoots, during 

 summer pruning. 



Figure 5 shows the vine three years in vineyard — pruned and tied, two arms to right and 

 two to left along lower (central) wire — ready for full bearing, and will in fruit appear like vine 

 in Figure 4, except that the jbearing shoots will be nearly twice as many. Last year's arms were 

 cut off at e e. In succeeding years the pruning and tying will vary little from this. 



Pruning and Training 



on the Munson trellis is very simple and easy with a little instruction for a few minutes with a 

 vine or two pruned for example. The vine the first season is allowed to grow up onto the middle 

 wire by a string around which it is coiled by hand, by going ov^r the vineyard once or twice until 

 the selected shoot of each vine is upon the wire, after which it is allowed to ramble at freedom 

 over the wires. By getting onto the trellis the first year, one strong shoot, aad allowing no other 

 to grow, a partial crop can be had the second year, without damage, on all but weak growers, 

 like Delaware, that should not be allowed to bear until the third year. At the first regular prun- 

 ing (all prunings should be done in November or December, after leaf fall, and never so late 

 as to cause the vines to bleed), the vine should be cut back to two or three buds that have 

 reached the middle wire, if weak growers, if strong, with heavy growth, six or eight buds each, 

 to two arms, one going each way along the lower wire from where the ascending vine first touches 

 the wire. After the vines are thus pruned, the outer end of each arm is firmly tied to the lower 



—226— 



