The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1864-04-02
agricultural Golunllr.
Horizontal Training of Grape Vines.


A writer of the TaHey Farmer
recommends the horizontal training of
grape vines, and also asserts that the
IS downward growing limbs of fruit trees
should not be Topped off, The reason
assigned for this; is, that it increases the
crop of fruit. He asserts that expert.
ments OF this kind have been made in
Europe for several years. He then
says: 1T is accounted for thus-that
the sap follows more readily the lar of
grdcitotion than when restrained by
ito
The facts from which the writer
draws his inference, are as old as horti-
culture itself, and the system has been
practiced in VINEYARDS and orchards from
time immemorial but his conclusions
are wide of the mark.
One of the most common things prac-
ticed by intelligent horticulturists is,
when an apple or pear tree continues to
make wood rapidly, and produces no
fruit (Which is often the case with some
kinds when growing ON very rich land),
he hangs weights On the branches, or
ties them down with cords this checks
the flow of sap, instead of fastening its
circulation, by the force of gravitation,
and causes fruit spurs to be formed, and
q habit of fruit bearing is thus estab-
hshed. Ringing is also sometimes re-
sorted to, with the same results. Ord
inarily, it is well not to encourage the
dropping habit Of apple trees, but the
most experienced orchardists shorten in
the branches of the trees when young,
in order to strengthen the arms and en-
courage an upright or pyramidial form.
When this is well attended to, the wood
producing, as well as the fruit produc-
ing forces are maintained in equilbri-
UNI and so long as this is done, and
the roots properly fed with their natural
aliment, the tree will continue in health
and fruitfulness perpetually. The droop-
ing habit, increased by each burden of
fruit, destroys the wood producing force,
and the tree continues to bear year after
year until its vital powers are exhausted,
when it finally dies.
Training the vine horizontally has
been practiced for hundreds Of wears.
The natural habit of the vine is to reach
the highest point possible, as long az it
can lind support. The object of the
vine dresser is to restrict the growth of
the vine within convenient limits, and
keep it under his control, without i'm
pairing its fruitfulness. Hence, the
various methods Of training have been
adopted. A grape vine generally can
not De expected to mature its fruit per-
tectly from a cane much more than four
feet in length. That is, vine dresser,
for instance, when training his vines to
stakes, butts the cane for the next sea-
sons bearing to three and a half or
four foot long. This cane will have,
say, five good buds upon it, each of
which will produce bearing shoot
the topmost bud will break the strong
est, and unless checked by some means
Will continue in the ascendancy through
out the season, and if permitted to grow
IN an upright direction, it will grow the
faster, its sap ascending with increased
vigor, Notwithstanding the 'lam of
graritotion.'' The shoots and bunche;
of fruit spring from the eyes below are
deprived of their due share of support
IN consequence of the natural tendency
OF the upper shoots in gaining the as
cendancy. Now, if the cane has been
cut SIX or more feet long, the current of
support will be SO strongly diverted to
the upper fruit bearing shoots, that the
lower ones not receiving their share of
sustenance will fail to ripen their crop.
Il is from this tendency Of the vine to
shoot the strongest from its uppermost
buds, that some vine dressers adopt the
bow system of training, which is prac-
ticed to considerable extent about
Cincinnati. The cane, when cut to
four feet in length, being bent and tied
IN bow, the flow of sap being towards
the end buds is checked, and a more
uniform growth of all the buds is secur-
ed. When the arm system Of training
is adopted, other methods of oyercom-
ing this evil are resorted to. Say, each
arm is trained four feet long from the
main stem, and each arm Will send up
live bearing shoots. Notwithstanding
the arm is secured in horizontal posi-
ton, the shoots nearest the end will out
grow and rob those nearest the main
trunk of an equal share Of sap. To
equalize this growth, the intelligent
vine-dresser will stop the outer or