The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-05-07
Training and Pruning Grape Vines.

Training and Pruning Grape Vines.
Immense crops of grapes are grown
throughout the country without an,
systematic mode of training or pruning
The vines are allowed to run at viii
over walls and arbors, with no Other
interruption than imperfect pruning
each spring. These vines bear fruit,
often in abundance, but it is of inferior
quality, and the punches are seldom
well filed out. Nothing short of intel
ligent pruning will improve the char
acter of fruit grown on such vines.
For the benefit of large class of in
quiring beginners in grape culture, q
mode of training and pruning recon-
mended by P. Barry. Rochester, N. Y,
and approved by othertrustworthy yint-
ners, is here reproduced in detail. In
it the principle of horizontal arms. a
leading feature in most systems, is ex-
planned. The plant ordinarily sent out
from the nursery at one or two years
old may Lave one or more shoots.
However this may be. all save the
strongest one are pruned off and it is
cut back to within two eyes of its base.
These eyes will produce two shoots, the
weaker of which is rubbed off and the
stronger one trained up so soon as they
have made growth of two or three
inches. This remaining shoot is per-
nitted to grow uninterrupted until Sep
TENDER, when it is pinched back at the
end to mature and strengthen it, any
side shoots that appeared during the
summer having been pinched off as well
as any suckers that appeared about the
roots,
If the shoot of last year made q
growth of ten or twelve feet, the second
year it may be cut back to three eyes
and the canes be trained up; but if it
made only weak growth it must again
be cut back to two eyes and one shoot
only trained up. Side shoots should be
carefully watched and as soon as leaf
has formed one inch in diameter the
shoot be pinched off just beyond it with
the thumb and fingers. Soon this leaf
will have attained full size and the bud
at its base matured and again sent forth
a new shoot which ought to be stopped
as at first. No suckers from below the
main canes should be permitted to
grow. In September these canes are
to be stopped as before and no fruit al
lowed. Els N
The third year the cultivator will
have two strong canes with which to
start the framework of the vine. Each
Of these is cut back at the winter prun-
ing to within two or three feet {not
buds) of its base, bent in the form of
bow and tied to the lower wire of the
trellis. After the buds have started in
the spring and made growth of four
70 six inches these canes should be
oosened and fastened to the lower hor-
zontal bar of the trellis, one reaching
,ne way and the other in an opposite
direction, like two arms spread out.
The bud on the end of each will pro-
luce shoot to continue the prolong-
nent in q horizontal direction and a
,ud on the upper side of each viii pro-
luce a shoot to be trained in an upright
All others should be rubbed |
,f so that each of the arms will pro-
luce two shoots. an upright and hori- |
'ontal one. These must be tied in as is |
equired, and the side shoots pinched |
ii from time to time. They are also
topped in September as before.
The fourth year each of last years I
boots is cut back to within three feet
# its base. The two upright canes now
Established will produce shoot from
heir tops to continue their extension,
nj the horizontal ones, as before, pro-
luce shoot at the point to be carried
UPWARDS, and one on the top to be
rained upright. In this way the vines
ontinue adding every season two new
pright canes, and two or three feet in
ength to the previous ones, until the
7hole trellis is covered. At this stage
fgrowth the management consists in
running the spurs every winter to about
hree eyes Each fr1it-branch should
g allowed to produce two punches of
,uit and when the shoot has made four
, six leaves beyond the last bunch of
'uit the end should be punched. This will
ause development of foliage and soon
ne last bud win push out side shoot
'hich must again and again be pinched
1t grows, so as to arrest the produc-
on of useless wood and turn the top to
he benefit of the fruit. Under the
lethod thus infinitely described, during
re fourth year several fruit shoots will
3 produced on each of which one or /,
vo lunches of grapes may be ripened.
his system is subject. of course, to ;
publications. to suit variations in eli
ate, vines. etc. By its employment a
of vigor viii be maintained /,
I'd the trellis covered in every part /,
18th bearing wood. af
In some sections, as Ohio and Mis-
uri. what is termed the renewal-cane
stem is practiced, which consists in ],
lnually cutting away all the wood of ;
70 years old or more. Some winners .
lvocate training and fruiting by leav- :
g very long canes, with more or less :
the laterals. and pruning the later !;
> to one or two buds. This mode is !.
acticed with success on the Concord, :,
inton and similar varieties. ~
In many vineyards the vines are :,
aimed to stakes. Sometimes two stakes =
Q employed, on one of which two :
mes of the previous years growth are :