Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1881-07-21
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The vines are allowed to run at will
over walls and arbors, with no other
interruption than imperfect pruning
each spring. These vines bear fruit,
often IN abundance. but il is oil inferior
quality, and the punches are seldom
we'll filed out. Nothing short of intel
ligentpruning willimproye the character
oil fruIt grown on such vines.
For the benefit Of a large class OF in
curing beginners in grape culture, a
mode Of training and pruning recon-
mended by P. Barry, Rochester, N. Y,
and approved by other trustworthy vint-
ners, is here reproduced in detail. In
1t 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
However this may be, all save the
strongest one are pruned off and it is
cut back to within two eyes OF It's 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 a growth Of two of three
inches. This remaining shoot is per-
mitted to grow uninterrupted until Sep
tember when it is pinched back at the
end to mature and strengthen IT, any
side shoots that appeared during the
summer having been punched of as we'll
as any suckers that appeared about the
roots.
II the shoot of last year made a
growth of ten or twelve feet, the second
year il may be cut back to three eye.
and the canes be trained up; but it il
made only weak growth il must again
be cut back to two eyes and one shoot
only trained up, Side shoots should be
carefully watched and as soon as a leaf
has formed one inch in diameter the
shoot be pinched of just beyond ii with
the thumb and fingers. Soon this leaf
will have attained foil 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 aud no truit al
lowed.
The third year the cnltivator will
have two strong canes with which TO
start the framework Of the vine. Each
of these is cut bach, al the winter pruu.
ing TO within two or three feet mot
buds of us base, bent in the form OF
bow and tied to the lower wire Of the
trellls. After the buds have started in
the spring and made growth OF four
to six inches these canes should be
loosened and fastened to the lower hor-
izontaI bar Of the trclls, one reaching
one way and the other in an opposite
direction, like two arms spread ont
The bud on the end OF each will pro-
duce a shoot to continue the prolunz-
ment in horizontal direction and a
bud on the upper side of each will pro-
duce a shoot TO be trained in an upright
position. All others should be rubbed
of so that each Of the arms VIII pro
duce two shoots, an upright and horI-
zonlal one. These must be tied in as is
required, AMI the side shoots pinehed
of from time to time. There are also
stopped in September as before,
The fourth year each OF last years
shoots is cut back to within three feet
OF its base. The two upright canes now
established will produce shoot from
their tops 10 continue their extensions,
and the horizontal ones, as before, pro-
duce a shoot at the point TO be carried
Optwards, and one on the top TO BE-
trained upright. In this way the vines
cDvt,pp9 al Jtpfr RX
upright canes, and two or three feet IN
length TO the previous ones, until The
whole trcllis is covered. Al this stage
of growth the management consists IN
pruning the spurs every winter TO about
three eyes. Each fruit-branch should
be allowed TO produce two punches OF
fruit and when the shoot has made Tour
TO six leaves beyond the last bunch Of
fruit the end should be pinchcd, This
will cause development of foliage and
soon the last bud will push out a side
shoot which must again and again be
plnchcd as 1t grows, so as to arrest the
production Of useless wood and turn
the top to the benefit Of the fruit. Under
the method thus infinitely described,
during the iounhyear several fruit shoots
will be produced on each Of which one
ortwobunches Of grapes may be ripened.
This system is subject, of course, 10
notifications to suit variations in eli
mate, vines, etc. BY its employment a
uniformity Of yigor viii be maintained
and the trellis covered ia every part
with bearing wood.
In some sections, as Ohio and Mis-
souri,, what is termed the renewaI-cane
system is practiced, which consists in
annually cutting away all the wood OF
two years old or more. Some yininels
advocate training and fruting by leav-
ing very long canes, with more or less
OF the atcrals, and pruning the later
ais 10 one or two buds. This mode is
practiced with success on the Concord,
Clinton and similar varieties.
In many vineyards the vines are
trained 10 stakes. Sometimes two stakes
are employed, on one of which two,
canes Of the previous years growth are
tied spirally, and on the other new
shoots are supported. At the winter
pruning these canes are shortened and
the ones that bore last year are cut