The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-06-29
summer Pruning the Grape,

DIR. John A. Warder addressed COM
mnnicatiou on Summer Pruning the
Grape to the Mississippi Valley Grape
Growers Association, which was read
at the meeting of the Association last
month, and of which We give the prln-
eipal part as follows: j,
Judlcious summer pruning rs indeed
one Of the most important operations 10
be practiced upon the grapevine. I'm
doubtedly it has been much abused,
and when Improperly praetlced III mas
produced disastrous results; out III Is
not right 10 make summer pruning the
scapegoat upon which to saddle all the
evil results of climate, incoInpatlbllity
of the soil, and other circumstances and
abuses which have caused failures OF the
vine.
One of the fashionable dOgmas of the
hour is, that pruning debilitates the
plant: at certain seasons, or practlced
in certain methods, there can be no
doubt that such violent distnrhN%o"
of the vegetable economy as Is lhEoIN
ed by the removal of portion OF the
foliage, and of the growing shoots, VIII
he followed by serious Injury; anu yet
il is we'll known that judiclous sum
mer pruning will produce increased
yipor i'm the shoots, and improved SIZE
and quality Of the fruits which are ieit'
so that there results stronger, not
weaker plant, and tho next years crop
of fruit is often much increased by this
kind of iudicieus summer pruning.
The treatment, however, is to be Judl-
cions. and seasOnable, and it Is TO be
performed not rashly and bIindly, but
in a proper manner, guided by skill. ana
based upon simple physiological laws,
done with the thumb and with the mn
ger nail, and not with the pruning hook,
nor the grass-knife, by cutting anu
slashing. which has we'll been styled
summer Strengthening" When TINS Is
done at midsummer, after the plant
has expended its strength in making all
this growth, before the reflex action of
the Vine and its roots has been fully
performed. il must indeed be n debilita-
ting process: but this is not what the
careful vigneron means by summer
pruning.
On the contrary, he cndeavors so to
time, and so to perform his operations
rs to spare the vine any such loss; to
this end he begins the process very
early, by rubbing ont the supeTiiuous
shoots with his thumb, SO soon as he
can discover which is desirable to pro-
serve either for fruit or for wood. At
the same time lie begins the pinching
process upon all the bearing fruits that
may have extended beyond the last
bunch Of grapes, and reached the length
of about six inches. The effect of this
1. 6 - 4
checks the current of sap and diverts it
TO the weaker shoots, and to those
which are to produce the wood for the
next years crop of truit-thOSe who are
10 furnish the canes ut the winter pru-
ming. Secondly, the effect Ofthis check
ing is to increase the size of the leaves
upon the pinGhed roots, which are large
" developed, and then they nourish and
bring forward the buds at their axis.
In process of time these buds burst and
produce lateral shoots which furnish
us with new leaves to nourish the vine
and fruit toward midsummer, when the
punches need shade, and when the first
leaves are matured and may have been
damaged by hail. These lateral shoots
NAV, in some instances, require TO be
piuched again, TO prevent them becom
Ing too stTGng, at the expense OF the
cane shoots; if 80 it is an easy matter TO
90 over the vineyard and to perform
this office.
Ii will be observed that our pinching
80 far has been directed exclusively to
the bearing shoots; for these which are
destined to become frat canes, in the
renewed system commonly employed,
are encouraged to grow freely; they are
not pinched, and they should be allow
ed to develop themselves Gb HbitHm. 1t
is sometimes advised to remove all lat
erals froU these shoots, at least as far
as the wood is to be used in the future
canes; but system has been
devised that has been called fruitinp
upon laternal spurs, which is found to
be very satisfactory with some varie.
ties ofthe vine that have rapid growth.
When we desire to encourage the pro-
QUESTION laterals for this purpose, the
renewal roots are forced into vigor-
Gus growth by a more severe pinching
of the bearing shoots and by training
the former in an upright position: so
soon as they have reached the height of
three or four feet they need 10 be
pinohed, in order to encourage the de-
velopment of the laterals, which are al
lowed to grow as freely as they will;
they should not be trained upward, how
ever, except those which are more feeble
and need encouragement, while at the
same time the stronger may be cut
loose and allowed to depend somewhat,
so as to restore the balance of force to
the weaker lateral shoots.
SO it will be seen that summer prun-
ing is very simple matter, and if prop
ery and timely performed, it may lie
made TO direct the flow of sap in such
n manner as to make the vine appear
more vigorous than it would otherwise
have been, with better foliage, better
fruit, and better bearing canes for the
next years vintage. Summer pruning
is thus strengthening, rather than q
facilitating process.