Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-04-27
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PRUNING THE GRAPE.

ferently from the apple and the pear;
therefore it requires to be pruned in a diff
terent manner. The fruit of the apple
and the pear is produced on short spurs
growing from branches that are not less
than two years old, or from the end Of
small twigs not less than one year old.
The spurs continue bearing blossoms and
fruit year after year for many years, gen.
orally in alternate years, the buds FORM
ing one year and producing fruit the next.
They increase in length but very little,
and are in their natural condition perennial.
Unless injured, they always form fruit
buds the year before producing fruit.
These can be distinguished from wood
buds, which are entirely distinct and only
serve to produce wood
The grapevine never forms what may
properly be called fluit-buds, that can be
seen and distinguished from wood buds,
the year before producing fruit Grapes
are invaribly produced on young branches
that have grown out from the vine only a
week or two before they blossom. These
young branches start out and grow from
the vine the first thing in the spring. As
they increase in length they produce fruit
buds. The first two, three or four, some
times five or six, of these produce BIOS
SONS and then fruit. But if the slightest
frost comes on the vine when it is in bios
son. the blossoms are killed, and there
will be no fruit that year. All grapevines
are alike in this respect. There is not one
but will have its blossoms killed by slight
frost, unless they are protected artificially
The frost also kills the young leaves and
the branch that bear them; but new
branches and leaves will start out again
and grow about as well as though there
had been no frost. But the vine will not
produce fruit till the next year. These
fruit branches continue to grow in length,
unless their ends happen to get broken OFF,
or are pinched off purposely, through the
season, sometimes growing ten feet or
more in length. When they have grown
to the length of three or four feet, they
frequently send out side branches, or
laterals, that grow from one to three or
more feet long. according to the vigor of
the vine When the vine has not been
pruned, as it should have been, either IN
the preceding autumn OF in the spring, it
also sends out many other branches that
do not produce any fruit in fact, every
bud on the vine, at the commencement OF
its growth in the spring, grows into
branch, either long or short, and in this
way the vine becomes Il mass of entan-
Cling branches.
Grape growers who understand the busi-
ness and keep their vines in good order,
always pinch off the end of the fruit BRAN
ches as soon as they have grown eighteen
inches or two feet long, so as to check
their growth and send the sap into the
fruit. In a few days the pinched branches
will send out another "leader," which,
after it has made two or three leaves,
must be pinched again; and SO on through
the summer. All little spindling branches
that grow from different parts of the vine
should be broken off as soon as they are
seen. But in case it is wished to increase
the extent of the vine, some of the best
branches are allowed to grow without any
pinching
The grapevine has one invariable habit,
it produces fruit but once on the same part
of the branch, unless the branch has been
the fruit branch that produces fruit this
year grows from the vine this spring.
After it has grown one or two feet long,
three or four of the first formed buds pro-
duce blossoms If the branch is not
checked by pinching its end, it continues
to grow through the season. Now, if it
has not been pruned, a few of the best de-
veloped buds. near the top. or extremity,
of the branch, or ''cane" as it is now
called, produce fruit branches again and
repeat the last years process, and SO con-
tinue to repeat, year after year. until it
becomes big pile of brush, with small
fruit and but little of it. This shows the
absolute necessity OF pruning the grape
vine, if it is desired to keep it productive
and within reasonable limits in a garden.
| The question is, how to prune it.
When it has been allowed TO take its own
course year after year, this is a hard ques-
ton to answer. The simplest way, and
in some cases the best way, is to cut it
down i'll autumn near the root, and then
let it start again in the spring. Select a
few of the branches to make new vine,
and break off the others. The next best
way is to overhaul the vine and cut out
all the dead wood and all the smallest
spinding branches close to the branch
they start from. and cut back all the other
branches from one third to two thirds the
length of the last years growth. But at
this time of the year it is not best to cut
out anv wood that is more than a year
old for old wood, cut at this time, will
"bleed" excessively. Even young, or last
years wood, will bleed also, but not to do
any damage to the vine.
Young vines, that were set out last
year, should be cut back SO as to leave
only two or three buds, according to how
vigorous they grew last year, If they
NEARLY lived. or grew but little, only one
bud should be allowed TO grow to produce
a branch. the others should be rubbed out
as soon as it can be decided which will
make the best branch. This is imperative
and should never be neglected. The one
great fault in grape growing is the not
cutting the vine back at the end of the
first year of growth, and by this neglect
allowing numerous little branches to grow
so many that no one can grow large
enough 10 make good bearing wood;
whereas, if only one or two branches or
canes had been allowed to grow, they
would have been large enough to bear q
small crop of fruit the third year from
planting.
Ii the vine has grown vigorously the
first year, making a cane three or four
! feet long. then two or three branches may
he allowed TO grow the second yaar. end