Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-11-30
Yus Sngeles Aerala.
VINEYARDS.
Tho Pruning Of the Vins-How and when 1t
should be Done.

Inc krunlnB OF Tue Vlne-doW ana Wnen "
should be Done.
The best mode of pruning stand
ard grape vines cannot be attained
without some artistic taste and sci
entific knowledge, aided by good
Judgment, close observation and
practical experience. Devoid Of
these qualifications, the pruner
will not form o head to the vine
which Will combine beauty and
utility. Without q knowledge of
vegetable physiology, he is like the
Arab on the desert who has neither
the wind nor the celestial orbs to
guide him in his trackless path.
It is difficult, if not impractic-
able, to prune the vines of vine
yard (unless they are of some d.
minutive Variety go So to form a
properly-shaped head without di-
minishing the full fruit-producing
powers of each vine If they are
planted less than eight feet apart.
In the Judgment of the writer, after
many years of observation Of vine
yards in California, o vineyard of
Mission vines planted eight or
even ten feet apart is worth more
per acre than II planted six feet or
less apart.
Between the vines little open
ground warmed by the sun will re-
feet the heat and greatly assist
ventilation by the constantly as
cending air which will permeste
every part Of the head and add ma
terially to the healthy growth of
the vine and to the more perfect
development of the best properties
Of the fruit.
The vine primer should ever
keep in mind that nature endeav-
ors to preserve perfect equilib-
rum in the growth of the roots
and branches Of perennial plants.
The growth of either depends upon
the power of the other to furnish
the requisite material. The growth
of fruit upon q tree, and the vine is
of the same nature as o tree, ne
cessarily impedes the growth of
both branches and roots. In this
is to be found the reason why
many fruit trees take on the habit
of biennial bearing.
A comely and we'll shaped head,
sufficiently open to give free circu-
lation of the air through it, and to
permit the rays of light to reach all
Its parts, is OF primary considera-
ton.
When about to prune q vine,
and having considered how he can
improve the shape of the head, the
primer should first determine
whether in the growth of the pre-.
ceding season there was redun-
dancy or deficiency In the growth
of its branches. IF he finds the
the former to have been the case,
he will govern his pruning so as to
leave sufficient number of fruit
buds to prevent like growth the
coming season. If the latter was
the case, he will leave less num-
Der of fruit buds, so as to cause q
greater growth of branches.
Having determined the number
of fruit-producing buds which the
Ylne can sustain, the primer will
then consider whether any, or how
many, of the old branches require
removal to perfect the shape and
symmetrical proportions of the
head. If the condition of the head
will permit him to choose between
leaving two or four fruit buds upon
each spike, he should choose the
latter number. Among many
reasons for long spike pruning the
following ones appear conclusive:
The head ofthe vine Is more open
to light and air during Its coming
growth and the maturing of the
fruit. The buds nearest the outer
end Of the spike first expand, while
those nearest the old wood remain
dormant. An untiinely frost may
kill the first expanded buds while
the dormant ones will not be in
jured, but will subsequently put
forth and give good vintage.
Summer pruning is bar5drity.
It deprives the growing or matur-
ing fruit of their agents (the leaves
on the extremities of the viues),
which nature has provided for its
perfect growth and ripening. The
vlner who sees necessity for and
practices Sum mer pruning only
confesses that his vineyard was up-
skilfully pruned at the past prun-
ing season. If due number of
fruit buds are left on a vine at the
Winter pruning, there will not be
any seeming necessity for Summer
pruning. The grape-grower who
year after year SO prunes his vines
that the overgrowth Of their
branches impedes the growth or
the perfect ripening OF their fruit
should know that the fault Is to be
found at his own door. He should
ALEC know that all the surplus
wood and leaves made by the
branches of his vines, and which
in many cases have made his vfne-
yard al impenetrable thicket DUR
ing the Summer, and which have
been nuisance in picking time,
has been grown by his vines at the
expense of the fruit, both in guam
tity and quality. The forces Of the
vine ana the material which it
gathered from the soil and the at
mosphere, instead of being wasted
in the production of surplus
branches, would have been used in
the growth and maturing of fruit II
the primer had not in his igHo-
rance removed too many OF the
fruit binds. L. T. WARNER.