246 PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



their bases are indications of a failing vineyard. The remedy now- 

 applied is to raise as many of these canes as possible to the crown of 

 the vine, tie them together and cut them across to make a new crown 

 over the old one. As soon as these spurs are stiff enough to be self- 

 supporting the cord is removed. The next year's pruning uses these 

 spurs as old wood and cuts to leave two or three buds on each cane 

 coming from them. Old vineyards that had dropped in production 

 until unprofitable, after three years of long pruning have come into 

 full bearing again. What the ultimate result will be we can not fore- 

 see, but it is certain that old blase vines have been restored to youthful 

 verdancy. 



Spring frosts are one of the troubles that make the morning naps of 

 the raisin-grower far from peaceful. These are mean nips that kill 

 back the early leaf and take the tiny, new-born bunches. The baby 

 bunches of grapes are folded away with the tiny leaves and tendrils in 

 the bud by the mother vine for next year's unfolding. 



While it is known that the crop is often greatly shortened by this 

 nipping, little has been done to prevent its ravages. It does not come 

 often enough to be a serious menace, fortunately. We have tried brush 

 burning, fire pots, and all the rest of that smoke-forming cloud-protec- 

 tion. It was lots of fun ior the boys to get up at three o'clock in the 

 morning, have hot coffee out in the vineyard, and then have half a day 

 off to sleep. However, the smoke would never obligingly form a cloud, 

 but sailed straight up and up and up out of sight. 



Water on the land will lessen frost in a large way ; consequently, 

 the skilled vineyardist now tries to have the small irrigation ditches 

 full of water. It is also a matter of observation that during the 

 heaviest spring frost we ever had the coldness flowed like water, so 

 that a fence or a row of trees turned aside the flow and in many cases 

 that portion of a vineyard was saved. These hours of coldness come at 

 about three o'clock in the morning and pass with sunrise, so that it is 

 only for a few hours at most that the vineyard needs guarding against 

 frost. 



The vineyard in the springtime rapidly takes on beauty. The tiny 

 green woolly leaves put out on the brown, lifeless-looking trunk and 

 touch the heart with their tender, baby-like helplessness. Quickly 

 they grow, and soon the leaves take on a shining surface, like the school 

 boy's happy face. Then comes youth and the outreach of the clinging 

 tendrils of love outreaching until they clasp hands across the rows with 

 another outstretched hand. Middle life is the long hot summer days, 

 the period of fruitage and of silent work ; and autumn, like old age, has 

 the perfect grapes, the wine of character tried is ready for the gather- 

 ing. The leaves as earthly gross silently fall one by one, returning 

 back to earth. The vintage is here and the vine sinks into the silent 

 Bleep, awaiting the resurrection of spring. 



