352 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
May, 1911 
This will give the plants a quick start but will not continue to act 
long enough to prevent the ripening of the wood. 
In planting, which may be done in either fall or spring, pre¬ 
ferably in spring, either one or two years old plants may be used 
They should not cost more than fifty cents each. Before planting 
cut back the top to three or four “buds” or eyes, and shorten back 
the roots a third or more, cutting out any that may be bruised. 
Make the hole large enough so that the roots need not be at all 
cramped together. Let them spread out and firm the soil in about 
them with the fingers, and after the hole is filled in, making the 
planting firm by pressing about it with your full weight on the 
ball of the foot. If the soil and season are dry, water thoroughly 
about the roots, be¬ 
fore filling in the hole. 
A mulch of meadow 
h a y, sawdust, coarse 
manure or other lit¬ 
ter, for two or three 
feet about the stem of 
the vine, will help 
save the moisture. 
Pruning is the all 
important factor i n 
growing good grapes. 
Upon the correctness 
and regularity with 
which it is attended 
to, the certainty, size 
and quality of the 
crop will depend al¬ 
most entirely. Give 
special attention then 
in trying to master 
the theory of grape 
pruning. In order to 
do this, it is necessary 
to keep in mind two 
facts, as follows : — 
First Principle. — The fruit is borne on the wood of the same 
season, which grows from last season’s wood. 
Second Principle. — Each vine can properly nourish and ripen 
only a limited number of bunches. This number may vary be¬ 
tween twenty-five and one hundred, but it will be much better to 
keep it between forty and eighty. The number to be left should 
be determined by the condition of the vine and by the previous 
year’s work. 
The system of pruning, then, should be as follows:— 
(1) At time of planting, cut back three or four eves. 
(2) When the buds sprout, rub off all but the one or two 
strongest. Tie or stake up the “canes” growing from these. 
(3) In January or February of the following spring, cut the 
strongest cane on each vine back to three or four buds, and re¬ 
move entirely all others. 
(4) In May or June, after growth has begun, rub off all buds 
but two on each cane. The two new canes should be tied securely, 
not tightly to stake or trellis. They 
form the basis from which in the 
following seasons will spring the 
canes that bear fruit. 
(5) During the season, keep all 
canes that start, other than the two 
desired, rubbed off. 
(6) In January or February of 
the second spring, cut back the two 
main arms, left to grow the preced¬ 
ing year, to eight or ten buds each. 
All the new canes springing from 
these are left, and will bear on an average of two bunches each, 
of fine large fruit. 
(7) The following January or February, cut off all of previous 
year's growth except the three or four canes nearest the head of 
the trunk and cut these back to eight to ten buds each. These 
buds will, of course, furnish the fruiting canes for the third season. 
(8) Every spring in January and February, cut back all wood 
except three or four canes to eight to ten buds, which will furnish 
fruiting canes for that season. 
The training of the vines does not make so much difference. 
Poles, trellises, arbors, walls, — almost any sort of support may be 
utilized that permits of easy pruning. For just plain results in 
fruit, the amateur 
cannot do better than 
to train his grapes to 
the following modi¬ 
fied form of the Knif-> 
fin system. A single 
stout wire is stretched 
about six feet above 
the row, in which the 
young vines are set 
about six feet apart. 
The main cane, or 
trunk of the vine is 
supported to this and 
the two, three or four 
“arms” left, are tied 
along this, or to a wire which 
may be stretched a foot or so 
below the top wire mentioned 
above. After the spring prun¬ 
ing, the remaining arms are tied 
along the support and the fruit¬ 
ing canes, as they grow, are al¬ 
lowed to hang down. During 
the season the buds are rubbed 
off the trunk and the hanging 
canes kept untangled. 
In growing on walls or arbors, 
it may not be possible to adhere strictly to the system of pruning 
above outlined, but the principle can be kept in mind, and all wood 
two or three years old cut out, except the main trunk and laterals. 
If too many bunches set, thin out, especially where any touch. 
If the grapes do not seem to be ripening up evenly in the fall, it 
means that the vine is attempting to carry too heavy a load. Thin 
out one-third or half the bunches and give a dressing of ashes or 
muriate of potash. Next year cut out to the proper number of 
bunches, both by pruning in spring and by cutting out bunches 
as soon as the fruit is well set. An over loaded vine means not 
only! poor fruit this season but unripened wood and weakened 
vitality, with consequent poor results for next season. 
Of the several grape troubles the only one likely to prove seri¬ 
ous, where the vines are well pruned and cultivated, is the “black 
rot” of the fruit which frequently, if neglected, will cause almost 
a total failure. It may be successful¬ 
ly fought, however, by the following 
simple means. First, cleanliness. 
When pruning, remove all the old 
dried grapes or “mummies” that may 
cling to the vine and carefully rake 
up all old leaves, twigs, mummies 
and other refuse under the vines and 
burn. Keep the ground clean from 
weeds and grass during the growing 
season and keep the vines themselves 
( Continued on page 384) 
Dotted portions should be cut back:—A, when setting; 
B, the next winter; C, a year later; D, third winter and 
after. Horizontal branches may be trained on wire 
