222 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



May, 1906 



Spur system on single wire trellis, before 

 pruning, (wire five feet from the ground). The arms 

 must be renewed every few years 



wire for fruiting when the old canes are taken 

 out. The horizontal double-arm renewal 

 system is, all things considered, one of the 

 best for the home fruit grower when varieties 

 that lend themselves to it are grown. 



The Horizontal Trellis differs from the 

 preceding chiefly in the method of spreading 

 out the vine. A single line of posts is set as for 

 the vertical trellis. Across the top of each post, 

 and at right angles to the row, is spiked a 

 2x4 cross piece about 2^ feet long. From 

 three to five wires, usually three, are stapled 

 to the upper side of this cross piece. The 

 vine is grown the first season on a stake and 

 is carried to the middle wire, where it is tied. 

 At this point it is nipped back and two 

 branches formed, which are tied in each 

 direction, on the middle wire, becoming 

 permanent arms. These arms should be 

 shortened at the end of that season. They 

 are extended the second season until 3 

 to 6 feet long. The bearing wood arising 

 from these arms is treated as in the spur 

 system or a modified renewal system may be 

 practised. The important point about the 

 horizontal trellis or "canopy" system, how- 

 ever, is not that either spurs or renewals are 

 used in fruit bearing, but that the fruiting 

 shoots are not tied, but hang loosely, droop- 

 ing from the wires toward the ground. This 

 makes horizontal trellis training very easy 

 and the least expensive to manage, although 

 the first cost of the trellis is slightly larger. 

 A form of it popular in the North, is known 

 as the "Kniffen" system; in the South a 

 modification of it known as the "Munson" 

 system, in which the centre wire is several 

 inches lower than the two outer wires, is meet- 

 ing general approval. The chief advantages 

 of the horizontal trellis are that it is cheap, 

 no expensive summer tying being necessary, 

 and that the vines shade and protect the 

 trunk and roots. For the latter reason it 

 is an especial favorite in the South. A 

 disadvantage is that the vines cannot be 

 sprayed so easily. The horizontal trellis 

 with drooping shoots is certainly the easiest 

 way to handle grape vines in many parts of 

 the country, and the quality of fruit pro- 

 duced is fully up to the standard of the ver- 

 tical trellis under a renewal system. It is 

 more satisfactory for strong-growing, than 

 for weak-growing, varieties. 



Same vine with bearing wood cut back to spurs, 

 each one bearing one or two large buds, from which 

 will come a bearing shoot 



The Arbor. Oftentimes grapes can be 

 made both serviceable and ornamental, 

 especially near the house or garden, by being 

 trained on arbors or porches. Even in such 

 cases, it is not usually best, however, to let 

 the vines run so much at random as is com- 

 mon. They should be trained to the arbor, 

 porch, fence or wall just as though it were 

 an upright trellis. Permanent arms, with 

 many renewal canes leading from them, can 

 easily be secured and the foliage effect will 

 not be injured, while the fruiting value of 

 the vines will be much enhanced. Many 

 grape arbors have little value but for shade, 

 when they might just as well produce a quan- 

 tity of fairly good fruit. Keep the number 

 of canes reduced and prune as rigidly as 

 possible without making the arbor thatch 

 too thin. The Scuppernong and other vari- 

 eties of the muscadine type it is not best to 

 touch at all when grown on arbors. These 

 varieties often do excellently if trained to an 

 upright trellis and severely pruned according 

 to either the spur or renewal systems in the 

 fall after the leaves have dropped. As a 

 rule, however, they do best when allowed to 

 ramble unchecked over an arbor about 7 

 feet high. 



If grapes are trained upon a building, the 

 vine should be securely fastened to it with 



strips of leather or it may be trained upon 

 woven wire fencing which is stretched a 

 foot or more away from the side of the 

 building. 



PRUNING AND TILLAGE 



Grapes can be pruned any time after the 

 leaves drop until the buds open, but it is 

 best not to prune when the wood is frozen, or 

 after the sap flows. The "bleeding" that 

 follows late-spring pruning, while not as 

 injurious as is commonly supposed, is cer- 

 tainly somewhat detrimental to the plant. 

 Fall pruning, after the leaves have dropped, 

 is recommended. Burn the prunings and 

 put the ashes around the vines. A little 

 summer pruning and training is necessary. 

 Rub off all suckers from the roots and other 

 shoots that are not wanted. Especially dur- 

 ing the first two summers it will pay to keep 

 a sharp lookout for these robbers — they 

 start and get a lead in a very short time. 

 Pinch off the side branches of the canes you 

 wish to save for next year, so as to throw 

 growth into the ends. When these canes 

 have reached the right length pinch off their 

 tips. Keep them tied snugly to the wires as 

 they grow, if the vertical trellis is used; 

 heavy winds are apt to tear them loose. 

 Next year's canes, on which another crop 

 depends, are apt to get lost in the mass of 

 foliage unless they are hunted out and 

 favored. After a bearing shoot has set two 

 bunches of grapes, it is commonly thought 

 best to pinch it off about 10 inches beyond 

 the second bunch. This starts the lateral 

 buds of these shoots into growth, but these 

 small side shoots need not be pinched. 



It is best to till grapes, yet it must be said 

 that grapes will stand neglect better than 

 most fruits. They are rather shallow-rooted 

 plants, hence the plowing and cultivating 

 should not be deep. In the home grounds 

 vines planted along the border or close to a 

 building may often be mulched, instead of 

 tilled. Stop tillage when the fruit begins to 

 weight the vines close to the ground. A 

 catch crop sowed at this time, will keep the 

 rain from spattering dirt upon the bunches 

 and will add humus. 









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The horizontal trellis. The bearing shoots hang 

 down, not tied. Requires less labor than other 

 methods. Popular in the south 



A common mistake. Too many old canes. 

 Start out one or two new canes from the roots, to 

 renew the top 



