SYSTEMS OF TRAINING 227 



some growers. The weaker growing varieties are usually 

 trained by this method. The stakes should be 2 or 3 inches 

 square or 2 or 3 inches in diameter and at least 5 or 6 feet in 

 length. The most durable wood should be used. Occasion- 

 ally when the vines are trained to stakes it is necessary to 

 use two of them for the stronger growing varieties. 



Trellises. — A good trellis can be made by the use of several 

 good posts and some wire. The posts should be of the most 

 durable wood and about 7 or 8 feet in length; 2 or 3 feet 

 of the post should be set in the ground, leaving the trellis 

 about 5 feet in height. The posts at the ends of the rows 

 should be heavier than those in the center, because the 

 greatest strain comes on the end posts. The posts should 

 alternate between the vines and not set directly in front of 

 any one. They should be set twice the distance between the 

 vines. After the posts are set, galvanized iron wire should 

 be stretched along the row and the wire should be securely 

 fastened to each post with a staple. Galvanized iron wire no 

 smaller than No. 12 should be used. Three wires are usually 

 much better than two. The lower wire should be about 15 

 to 20 inches above the ground. The other wires should be 

 spaced about 12 to 14 inches apart. 



When the wires are fastened to the side of the posts it is 

 called a vertical trellis. Several methods of training the 

 grape may be used on the vertical trellis. The two most 

 common systems are the horizontal arm and the fan system. 

 When the fan system is adopted it is much the same as that 

 practised when the vines are trained on stakes. This method 

 is virtually a renewal system because the vine is practically 

 renewed each year. Two or three shoots are grown near the 

 ground each year, and these are tied to wires, the ends being 

 cut off when the young canes are 4 or 5 feet long. 



The canes are then trained to the wires in a fan shape. The 

 side canes on the branches are shortened to spurs of two or 

 three buds. Only three or four of the side canes should be 

 allowed to grow on the branches. All of the other canes 

 should be removed. 



The arm system of training consists in allowing a single 

 stem to grow to the desired height. The end of the stem is 



