The Placer herald., 1859-02-26
From the California Culturist.
Effects of late Pruning,

IuCCCS VI AdtC
In our regular eight or ten days peregrin-
alton monthly, to and through the principal
agricultural districts of the State, we are
constantly gathering and comparing the
practice and experience of observing cultur-
lists in every department of agriculture. BY
so doing, and reporting the same through
the pages of the Cuiturist we are enabled to
save very many engaged in horticultural pur-
suits the necessity Of a routine of expert
ments to establish a principle, that some
one else has as certainly done before them,
This remark applies with force to a fact re-
Gently, and now fully established, relative
to la;e pruning of the vine with view Of
increasing its truitfulness, in certain locai
ties
Almost all Of our principal grape grower,
h I'VE either finished or are now busily engag-
ed in pruning their vines; but this remark
will by no means apply to all. We recently
visited the admirably managed grounds of
Mr.. Louis Bruguiere, two and half miles
from Oakland. Mr.. Is. as an amateur cu-
turist of fruits; and being eminently success
ful in the culture of lie grape, notwth
standing his exposure, to some extent, to
the cold trade winds of summer, his views
are entitled to consideration; because rs
respects his peculiar locality, his present
practice is based upon fairly conducted ex
pertinent.
Mr. b. is Frenchman, accustomed to
The management and growth of the vine in
Europe and came here with all his notions
of early aad short pruning as firmly fixed in
his mind, as we now find with many others,
with European experience. But another
experience has taught him. that the EuropeaD
plan is not adapted to this country, or at
least to his particular locality in this country.
Thus we find him adopting long, instead
of short system fprunng, and instead of
pruning early in the season his vines are
not pruned yet-l5th February-nor does
he intend to prune, until just about the time
Of the starting of the buds
This may seen strange practice to many
and particularly to those who are welded to-
old systems but Mr.. BIS object is to raise
grapes; and he does it from year to year, Of
excellent qaalily and without failure; SO
that if he knows that by his mode it can bs
done-and certainly his success proves it
we should never stop to inquire whether his
practice conforms with that Of the ancient or
not but, if in similar locality to his, we
should doubt it at once. In remarking to
him, that by delaying the pruning to so late
a season, the vines must bleed, we were told
that no injury resulted from il, if they did,,
that the mode had its advantages, and he
would point them out. Thus, where vines
are pruned early and close-say back to two
or three buds--and the vine is a very vigol
Gus grower, the whole force Of the root is
brought to the development of too few buds
or shoots The consequence is, they are
far more likely to be forced too early, which
subjects them to tire effects of late spring.
trosts, should they occur, and which are not
uncommon in many localities
One reason why vines, in certain localities,
produce so little fruit is, Mr.. b. thinks, their
tendency to run too much to wood, and this
tendency is augmented by close pruning, and
Iessened by permitting the whole top to re-
main unpruned as late as possible, receiving
a large share of the early ascending sap;
whilst that part which is finally to remain,
is not 80 early forced or forced as energeti
cally, as when early pruned. And should
the vines bleed when finally pruned, it is
rather advantageous than otherwise; for to
weaken the vital energy Of a plant in its pro-
duction of wood is to increase its tendency
to fruitfuness, And when he does prune,
instead Of cutting back to two or three buds,
he leaves from six to dozen depending on
the strength of the vine; and never cuts back
or pinches in the ends Of the bearing shoots
in summer; and the best proof of the practi
cability of his mode is, he never fails of a
large and fully matured CROP
There is also another Frenchman at San
Antonio, whose garden we visited, bat whose
name we cannot now recall who, without
even the acquaintance Of Mr.. b.. or ever
having heard of his practice of late pruning.
has, from his own experience, adopted a Pre-
cisely similar practice, and based upon the
same reasons; and whilst both of these gen
tlemec are ready to admit that for other To-
calites, different system may be preferable,
it is the only proper one for their own; and
that setting slips or cutting in the places
where they are to remain is tie best mode
Of planting out vineyard.
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