L June, 1898. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 463 
eases no ill-effects are noticeable either in the fruit or shoots; but that the loss 
by bleeding at the pruning sections can be anything but harmful is the writer’s 
firm conviction. From May to the end of July the vine can be pruned without 
danger, according to district and climate. 
MANNER OF PRUNING, 
Some writers advocate cutting the canes across the knot above the bud left 
for vegetation. They argue that unless cut in this way moisture may 
accumulate inside the severed cane, and cause rot and injury to the bud below. 
Tn this colony such a danger is not to be feared with the limited winter 
rainfall, and in long-noded varieties of vines this method of pruning would 
- leave an unsightly amount of long dead wood, which would cause injury to 
shoots and bunches in windy weather; an inch from the bud will be long 
enough. When pruning away suckers and canes not required for new spurs, 
always cut away as close to the stock as possible. The cut will heal better, 
and there will be less sprouting of fresh suckers at that point. Always cut 
away any dead wood from last season close to the green wood to avoid wood- 
rot. 
THE OBJECT OF PRUNING. 
The object of pruning a vine is (to put it as succinctly as possible) to get 
as much fruit off it as possible without impairing its health and vigour. To do 
this, a balance must be maintained between the crop taken from the vine and 
its producing power. If you allow too many bunches to be developed the 
vigour is diminished, and the bad effects will show later on; if too small a 
erop is allowed to develop, the vigneron has a loss, and a superabundance of 
wood is made. On the fertility of the soil, the climate, and other physical 
conditions will depend the amount of crop to be grown—the vine itself will tell 
you how much. 
The art of the pruner consists in directing and managing the vigour of the 
_vine, and getting the most benefit from it; in other words, a maximum of fruit 
instead of a maximum of wood and leaves. 
A few of the laws which govern this art may be given here for the 
guidance of the pruner:— 
1. If the vigour of a vine is diminished, its production of fruit is 
increased up to a certain point. 
2. A cane will produce more fruit 
position. 
3. ‘The vine shows most vigour at the points furthest from the stock. 
4. The ereater the number of shoots, the weaker they will be individu- 
ally and conversely; the fewer the shoots, the greater the vigour of 
each. 
5. The more abundant the fruit, the less the saccharine matter in it. 
There are many ways of pruning, each of which has its admirers and- 
advocates, but they are all variations of two systems—long and short pruning. 
Long pruning consists in leaving a cane with six or more eyes for the produc- 
tion of fruit and called the fruit-branch, and a spur pruned to two eyes for 
the production of wood. 
Short pruning consists in leaving seweral short spurs with two or three eyes 
each for the production of wood and fruit, the number of spurs depending on 
the age and vigour of the vine. But it may be asked, Why should a vigneron 
bother about long pruning with its fruit-branch and wood-spur, when it is so 
much easier to cut all the canes down to two eyes, and have done with it ? The 
reason is because in certain varieties of vines the eyes of a cane nearest the 
stock are frequently sterile, so that by short pruning only the sterile part would 
be left to vegetate, whereas the buds further away from the stock contain the 
embrvos of amore numerous and finer quality of bunches. It is necessary, 
therefore, before pruning, to be sure which method is most suitable to your 
vines, The reasons for having two systems being explained, the mode of 
procedure in long pruning will be taken first. 
Lil 
the more it departs from a vertical 
