The Shasta courier., 1867-02-09
Pruning Grape Vines.

gives the following directions in regard to
pruning the grape vine:
Pruning the vine the first year. .-Thi. is a
simple process, and quickly done. All
shoots should be cut away except one, and
| that cut back to two buds and if the vines
were planted as before directed, this will
leave them five or six inches above ground,
which is sufficiently high for the starting of
the vine stem or head, and gives strong
stem much sooner than the usual wav. which
is to start the vine from the ground the sec
ond year. All suckers should be taken off.
and nothing left to grow except the two shoots
from the two buds left for that purpose, and
they should have their ends pincued off when
they have grown ten inches long. This
causes the vine to throw out side shoots,
which gives it a tree shape or form it also
causes the main stem to thickeD, making it
stout and hardy.
Pruning Second Year.-We now find the
vines with two limbs each these should be
cut back to two buds each, and, as before,
nothing should be left to grow except the
buds lett for that purpose, with this differ
ence-this year there are four instead of two
Pruning Third Year.-The third year
there are four branches to the vine. These
should all be cut hack to two buds each and
as this Is the beginning of the fourth year we
may expect crop of fruit From this time
forward the objects in pruning are threefold.
FIRST, for fruit the present year second, to
keep the vine in proper shape; third, to
produce wood for next years fruit. Heretofore
our object was only to shape the vine, for
Just as the twig is bent the trees inclined" !"
Some of the vines will be too small to bear
the fruit of eight buds such NAV have one
branch cut off close to the old wood and leave
but three spurs with two buds each. During
spring and summer all vines should be tho
roughly cultivated and nothing left to grow
except the buds left for that purpose at
pruning time; and summer pruning should
be followed that is, pinch off the ends of the
young shoots until the vines are five years old
at least. In my opinion summer pruning
should be followed up, no matter how old the
vines. Many, however, do not approve of
summer pruning at all.
Pruning Fourth Year.-But before pro-
ceedng further, however, on pruning, we
will say few words on the nature and char
acter of the buds on grape vine. There are
many engaged in the grape culture who think
one bud as good as another for fruit; but in
this they mistaken. There are three
kinds OF buds on grape vine, namely: the
primary, the secondary, and the adventitious
buds. The primary buds are those that
formed upon the shoots that grew the year
just past, from the previous years wood, and
are alone the fruit bearing buds Secondary
buds are those that form upon side shoots of
this years growth, and never produce fruit.
The adventtious buds are those that form
around the stem of the vine where branches
have been cut off. and produce suckers, and
on young vines sometimes produce fruit, but
on old vines seldom. if ever, and are never to
be relied on for fruit. Then, again, all the
primary buds are not equally fruitful The
first bud from the main stem is not so good as
the second, and the first and second together
viii not produce as much fruit as either the
third, fourth. or fifth buds alone; nor will it
be so large or fine favored. Notwithstanding
this, the first and second buds are all that are
left on the vine when pruned to the short
spur system, as is generally practiced in this
county. In consideration of the above facts.
l prefer what is called the g long and short
spur system of pruning the vine" That is,
after they are four years old, las up to that
time the vine can be formed better by the
sbort-spur plan), cut half the limbs to spurs
OF four or five buds each, or enough to make
as many fruit buds as the vine is able to bear
the Iothers should be cut back to two buds
each. This year the long spurs will produce
the fruit and the short ones the timber for
next years fruit Next pruning cut off the
long spurs that produced fruit the year just
passed. close up the first limbs on the long
spurs; cut those shoots back to two buds
each, and those shoots that grew from the
short spurs of last year cut to four or five
buds each, and SO on, alternating, from year
to year. By this system we always have the
best buds upon the vine for fruit with less
number of branches, consequently not so
many cuts on the vine also. by this plan
the product will be larger and better, in pro-
portion to the timber left upon the vine.
Vines should be allowed to bear sufficient
fruit to keep their branches from interlocking
together. This may be done without over
bearing. If vines are allowed to bear all
they are able without injury to themselves,
their branches will not grow more than about
four feet long.