HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 153 



FRUIT. 



In continuation of our remarks on pruning grapes, the next system to be 

 considered is " alternate spurring." This method is an improvement upon 

 close spurring, and may be briefly explained as follows : In close spur prun- 

 ing it is customary to cut the shoot down to one eye or bud, thus sacrificing 

 more prominent and better developed buds farther from the stem. To ob- 

 viate this, and at the same time secure the advantages of close pruning, it is 

 becoming a practice with, some of our most successful grape growers to se- 

 lect a prominent bud and prune down to it without reference to its distance 

 from the main stem, at the same time cutting out all the eyes below it ex- 

 cept the one at the base of the shoot. When growth commences, of course 

 these two buds thus retained will form two shoots, of which the one at the 

 extremity is to bear fruit, the lower one merely to form a shoot to bear next 

 year's crop ; if any fruit makes appearance it is promptly removed. The 

 summer management of these is exceedingly simple ; the fruit-bearing shoot 

 has its point pinched out two or three leaves beyond the bunch, and all sub- 

 sequent growth checked in order to strengthen the fruit. The non-bearing 

 shoot is aho checked when it has made ten or twelve leaves ; and when the 

 fruit is ripe the branch that bore it is cut clean out. The shoot left for next 

 year will undergo the same treatment as its predecessor, viz. pruned to a 

 prominent bud, and cut out all the others except the lower one. This sys- 

 tem insures a larger amount of elaborating foliage than is the case with close 

 pruning, and is probably the best that can be adopted where a variety of 

 vines are grown in a limited space ; but it is faulty so far that there is little • 

 or no extension of the main stem, and also the small extent of foliage tends 

 gradually to impair the longevity of the plant. 



On the other hand where permanency is an object, We incline to the opin- 

 ion that the long cane renewal system is preferable to either of the modes 

 mentioned. AVe are aware that it is unfashionable at present, and scouted 

 by those who, having a fanciful idea of the great gross feeding propensity of 

 the vine, present it with everything in the shape of manure that can be 

 thought of, and are evidently more impressed with the size of the leaves than 

 the size of the bunches. In the face of all this, and having had our own 

 share in grape management, we will proceed to describe what we consider 

 the best method of grape pruning, 



The first year the vine should be allowed to extend almost at random, 

 neither pinching off a lateral or a tendril; this will establish a strong base of 

 roots. In the winter pruning this growth should be divested of all side 

 shoots and shortened to eight or ten feet ; the second year this shoot will 

 produce a few bunches of fruit. The leader from it should agaift be allow- 

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