1907. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
io5 
PRUNING GRAPES. 
Part II. 
Correcting Weaknesses. —But as I 
have intimated before, there arc some 
weaknesses in this simple method which 
may be largely corrected by certain modi¬ 
fications. First, as the vine has a tend¬ 
ency to grow most vigorously at the top, 
the two lower branches are likely to lack 
vigor. This can be remedied by growing 
two stems instead of one the second sea¬ 
son, one to supply the two branches for 
the lower wire, and the other the two 
branches for the upper one. I his is quite 
an improvement, for though the vine does 
not present so systematic an appearance, 
the growth can be kept much more uni¬ 
form. Second, while we are anxious to 
have the strongest shoots near the stem 
so as to insure a good renewal cane, the 
natural tendency is for the shoots at the 
end of tlie branch to grow the strongest. 
Here our chances for a good renewal cane 
arc much increased if we cut the first 
shoot to a spur and use the second for 
the renewal cane. The spur is more apt 
to make a strong shoot. Third, with even 
this precaution to secure a good renewal 
cane, we do not always get it, especially 
if the soil is not ovcrrich. What then? 
Say. for instance, all the shoots along the 
branch have a fair, healthy development, 
but none strong enough to furnish a satis¬ 
factory renewal cane. In that case I have 
found it satisfactory to retain the branch, 
cutting all the shoots to spurs with one 
good bud each; or say the first real strong 
shoot occurs some distance from the 
stem, in that case the first shoots may be 
cut to spurs and the strong shoot used to 
renew the branch from that point on. 
When necessary the old branch may be 
retained for several years, but it is well 
to take the first opportunity to renew it 
with a strong new one. When a branch is 
thus retained, care must be taken not to 
multiply the spurs. 
Selection of Shoots. —This about com¬ 
pletes the list of desirable- modifications 
of the system, and they arc so simple 
that they should cause no confusion if the 
four-branch idea of the pruned vine is 
kept clearly in mind. There still remain 
a few hints of less importance that may 
not come amiss. In selecting shoots for 
the branches those springing from the 
stem at points a little below the wire 
which is to support them, are to be pre¬ 
ferred to those even with or above it. 
Also, it often happens that a shoot se¬ 
lected for a renewal cane has made such 
vigorous growth as to develop strong 
secondary shoots where less vigorous 
vines have only buds. In such cases it is 
best to make one-bud spurs of all these 
short-jointed, well developed secondaries, 
for while a bud will be found at the base 
of each on the main cane, it is usually 
weak, nature having transferred its office 
to the buds on the secondary. 
Advantages of the System. —Tt may 
be well to cite some of the advantages of 
the “Kniffcn system”: First, it allows the 
young shoots laden with fruit lo droop 
naturally, and this position has been 
found to develop the finest clusters. In¬ 
deed, this fact led to the development of 
the svstem. Second, it requires the least 
amount of work in pruning. Third, it 
reduces the Spring tying to a minimum, 
and does away entirely with tying up the 
young shoots during the busy Summer 
season, which is a necessity with some 
other systems. 
Time for Pruning. —Next comes the 
question: “When shall we prune?” 
Many delay the work until early Spring. 
In the grape-growing districts it is usual¬ 
ly done in the Fall. A writer in a bulle¬ 
tin from the Department of Agriculture 
at Washington says any time after the 
leaves fall until growth starts in the 
Spring, except when the wood is frozen. 
A writer on the subject, in a bulletin 
from the Pennsylvania Agricultural De¬ 
partment, designates the same time re¬ 
gardless of temperature. And lately a 
writer in a well-known agricultural 
weekly urges the postponement of the 
work until rather late in the Spring, on 
the claim that early pruning at the North 
exposes the vines to liability of injury 
from freezing, and that at the South it 
forces them into undesirable early growth. 
For plausible appearing nonsense on the 
subject that is about the limit! With so 
much variation of opinion and practice on 
one simple subject evidently the experi¬ 
ment stations will have plenty of work 
for some time to come. Perhaps by recol¬ 
lection of observation and experience, 
mixed with a little common sense, we may 
arrive somewhere near the truth of the 
matter. During a number of years past I 
have pruned grapes, blackberries and 
raspberries, at any and all periods, and 
under nearlv all conditions of weather, 
from the falling of the leaves to the time 
of active flow of the sap in Spring, and 
I have yet to find any practical difference 
in result?, As to suspending operations 
because the wood is frozen; whenever 
you can get on enough clothes to keep 
fairly comfortable at the work you can 
safely prune. It is vou and not the vine 
that is likely to suffer from the cold. I 
dwell at length on this because erroneous 
notions on the subject are common, and 
as already intimated, are helped along by 
occasional careless or ignorant statements 
in the agricultural press. The result is 
that much work that might easily be done 
during Fall and Winter, is postponed to 
the always overcrowded season of early 
Spring. 
Summer Pruning. —When the young 
shoots start in the Spring and have at¬ 
tained a growth of from six to 12 inches, 
and the embryo clusters are showing 
nicely, it is a great advantage to go over 
the vines and pluck off all shoots that are 
not desirable. There will be some barren 
ones growing from the stem or old 
branches; very many of the best buds be¬ 
sides the principal shoot, will throw out 
a weaker, smaller shoot. These should 
be removed, as they would “clutter” the 
vine and yield only small, imperfect clus¬ 
ters. Then also there may be places 
where more shoots start than was intend¬ 
ed; some of these may be removed. In 
fact, it is a thinning process, which, if 
done at the right time, while the shoots 
are still tender, can be done quite rapidly, 
and if well done goes a long way toward 
insuring a superior crop. Aside from 
this thinning I do not think Summer 
pruning advisable. There arc few fruits 
so generally and at the same time so in¬ 
differently grown as the grape, mainly be¬ 
muse of a mistaken idea that it can be 
grown to any degree of perfection only 
in specially favored localities; while the 
truth is that there are few others that 
can be grown to as great a degree of 
perfection over so great a portion of the 
country. By way of emphasizing this 
statement I will add that during the past 
season I sold my crop of about 3,000 
pounds of grapes in the Harrisburg mar¬ 
ket for the sum of $242.67. A good many 
were sold at retail by the pound, but the 
larger portion were sold to storekeepers 
and dealers, in 20-pound baskets. The 
price ranged from three to 15 cents per 
pound, the bulk of the crop selling at 
from six to 10 cents, at a time when 
there were quantities of inferior low- 
priced grapes on the market. It was sim¬ 
ply a matter of quality. Nor is it likely 
that either the market or the locality 
where the fruit was grown is in any way 
exceptional. d. l. iiartman. 
Pennsylvania. 
If you understand Modern Methods and 
Farm INTELLIGENTLY. 
Every Reader of Thk Rural Nkw-YorkkR 
who is interested in fanning or gardening, in 
the growing of fruit or of flowers, is invited 
to send for a free copy of our 80-page catalogue 
and full information in regard to the Home 
Study Courses in Agriculture. Horticulture, 
Landscape Gardening and Floriculture which 
we offer under Prof. Krooks of the Mass. 
Agricultural Uollego and Prof. Craig of Cor* 
nell University. 
THE HOME CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL 
DEPT. lb. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 
Peach Trees 
fine, stocky, hardy, grown on 
the bank of Lake Erie: two 
miles from any poach orchard, 
free of borors and all diseases. 
Large stock of A nple. Peach, 
Pear, Plum, Cherry, Ktc. 
Headquarters for ORNA¬ 
MENTAL TREES, Shrubs 
Ruses Plants, Vines Rulbs, 
Heeds. Over 50 uorca of 
Hardy Roses, none better 
f :rown. 44 greonhousos of Kverbloomlna Roses, 
*ulins. Ferns Ficus Geranium*, Ktc. Mail size 
f iostpaid, safe arrival and satisfaction guaranteed, 
arger by express or freight. Direct deaf will Insure 
you I lie best and suve you money. Try It. Valuable 
168-pago Catalogue FREE. Correspondence solicited. 
53 years, 1200 acros. 
THE STORRS & HARRISON CO.. 
Box 458 , PAINESVILLE, OHIO. 
APPLE TREES 
CALIFORNIA PRIVET 
and all other kinds of Trees and Plants 
Catalogue Free. 
JOS H. BLACK, SON & CO., 
Hightstown, New Jersey, 
Safety Heating 
The house and contents may be sadly damaged by fire, 
yet not destroy the usefulness and value of our Steam 
and Water warming 
outfits. Not only that, 
their durable construc¬ 
tion and safety features 
compel a lower insurance 
rate on houses, stores— 
ALL buildings—fitted 
with 
DEAL 
Boilers 
American^ 
ii Radiators ^ 
Several million dollars property loss is annually laid to fires caused by old-fashioned 
heating methods—forced or strained to the utmost on bitter cold days to make room 
habitable. Buildings outfitted with IDEAL Boilers and AMERICAN Radiators are 
freed from this risk—fires can only result from outside causes —that is why our out¬ 
fits are used even to warm powder and dynamite factories, Government forts, battle¬ 
ships, etc., etc. They outwear the building. 
IDEAL Boilers and AMERICAN Radiators are made in 
sizes to fit all classes of buildings (3 rooms to 90 rooms), OLD 
or new, FARM or city. A child can care for the outfit. Keeps 
the whole cottage or building warm—and avoids dust and 
ashes in living rooms. A permanent investment, not an 
expense; the coal savings soon pay for the outfit. 
ADVANTAGE 3: Every inch of fire surface in IDEAL 
Boilers is backed by water, which greedily absorbs the full 
heat and hurries it along through the hollow, double walls 
of the boiler and through the piping to the hollow, beautifully 
ornamented, graceful AMERICAN Radiators stationed at 
convenient points in the rooms above. It is this water back¬ 
ing of every tiny portion of the heating surface which makes 
these outfits so economical in fuel burning, so sure in heating 
efficiency, and prevents their ever wearing out. 
Write today for valuable catalogue (free) setting forth 
the full ADVANTAGES. Sales branches and warehouses 
throughout America and Europe. 
A MERICAN 'R flDIATQk r OMPANY 
Dept. 9 
CHICAGO 
Boiler cut in half to show 
hollow castings filled with 
water, which extracts the 
full value from every 
pound of fuel burned. 
TKels 
FRUIT AND ORNAMENTAL 
Evergreens 
Shrubs Roses 
Hardly Plants 
All the Heat and Hardiest Varieties. 
The Largest and Moat Varied 
Collections in America. 
ELLWANGER & BARRY 
Nurserymen—Horticulturists 
MOUNT HOPE NURSERIES 
Established 1840 
ROCHESTER NEW YORK 
Illustrated Descriptive Catalogue (144 
pages), alBO Descriptive List of Novelties 
and Specialties with beautiful colored 
plate of tlie New Hardy White Rose 
SNOW QOKEN (FRAU KARL puuscuki) 
mailed FltEE on request. 
Strawberries 
Try Ekey 
for first choice. Rich, bright 
crimson, red flesh. Excellent 
fruit, very attractive. We have 
millions of strong plants ready 
for 1907. Every variety worth planting in¬ 
cluded. Write for late catalog of finest stock 
in this country of Strawberries, Apples, Pears, 
Peaches, Plums, Grapes, Cherries. Asparagus. 
Packed to arrivein perfect condition anywhere. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES. 
BOX 20 , BERLIN, MO. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
at $1.00 per 1,000 and up. Catalogue free. 
It. E. ALLEN, Paw Paw, Mich. 
ARE YOU READY 
to place your order for Fruit Trees now, 
while the Nurseries have a full stock, 
and while you have time to attend to 
it? Call’s Nurseries, Perry, O., make a 
specialty of dealing direct with their cus¬ 
tomers. They employ no agents, but 
have the reputation of sending out the 
finest trees that can be grown. Write 
them for Price List. 
TREES 
storage. 38tl: 
\V hole sale 
T4armiins in Surplus at 10 cts. each. 
All first-class. Fresh dug. No cold 
year. 
Nurseries, 
80 page catalog. <». C. STONE’S 
Duiisvllle, New York. 
HEALTHY NATIVE-GROWN FRUIT TREES. 
ORNAMENTAL TREES, VINES, SHRUBS, ETC. 
We offer for Spring of 11)07 the finest and most complete list of Nursery Stock we have over grown. 
Our stock can always be relied upon for tt Is all selected and grown on our own grounds under constant 
expert inspection. Wo guarantee every specimen true to name and free from disease. Give us a chance 
to figure on your list of wants before ordering elsewhere. We do LANDSCAPE GARDENING in all 
Its Branches. Write now for our Free Illustrated Catalogue. Address 
T. J. DWYER £» COMPANY..Box 1, Cornwall, New York. 
OUR TREES BEAR FRUIT 
Tlie) Represent Pennsylvania's Best Special Fine Stock for Spring 
Early orders solicited, Largest and most complete line of Trees, Vines and Plants 
in Western Penna. Highest indorsement by State Department of Agriculture. 
Special Premium List for our customers this spring. Write for Fine Illustrated 
Catalogue and Price List. THE RIVERSIDE NURSERY CO., Confluence, Penna. 
TREES HARDY, RELIABLE Fruit Trees 
With Nothing on Them But a TRUE LABEL. 
Our catalog with endorsements will prove to you that the most careful conservative Planter!) wan| 
om-Km If. 8, WIJWTCY & SON, Drawer 138, Cayuga, Now York, _ 
