The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-22
Grape Vines.


In answer to correspondent who
ineuin,s shout grape, reliises. we would
saw than t does not make any serious
q fference AZ % which side OF the trellis
the vine is. 1t is true that it is better,
perhaps, to place the vine on the east
or west of the trellis. As to the con-
struction of the trellis that Is not dill
cult Almost every enc must have seeii
a trellis. 1t may be composed of simp-
" posts and stats. Or it may be mads
al posts and wire. select the posts
from ak. or some other durable TIM
Der, and have them large enough ID
provide sufficient strength. Set the
posts eighteen feet apart in the rows,
ami have them rum north and south. so
as to give more uniform exposure of
the grapes to the sun, as We have be-
TO intimated. The posts ought to be
about fopr or five feet Above the
ground. Now stretch your wires along
The costs, and fasten TO each post with
a staple. driven IN firmly enough to
prevent the wires from slipping
through, As, il they do that. they will
sag in some places while being taut
IN others. making the strain uneven. 1t
will be necessary, as will naturally &C.
eur to the reader, to have the end posts
somewhat larger than the others. and
to so brace them that the strain from
the wire !. either from contraction or the
weight of the vines. will not loosen
them. We should place the wires about
| fourteen inches apart, the lower one
being placed ut that distance from the
ground. This will bring the top wire
about four Ieet eight inches from the
ground Some only use three wires,
but four gives better chance to tie up
the vines, and will pay Tor the extra
trouble anu expense. Now II there IS
more than one treilis the question will
arise. show lar apart should theY be-
Opinions will vary in regard to that,
but we bcheve that they sholld not be
nearer together tuan e ght feet, and ii
| they are further apart than that, We do
not think any damage will be done. 70
say the least.
| Now if the vines are six feet apart
there viii be three letwecn each two of
| the posts, and that is about right. Ii
the trelis is not put up as Soon as the
vines are painted, they can be left to
trail upon the ground tie first season.
and no great harm viii be done. Vines
/ left thus for The first season Will do very
I nearly as well as If on the tre1s. II
the TELLS Is there, however, they should
BE- ted up the tirst season; but as the
trellis is to be constructed we advise
setting it mp at once. We may say here
/ that during the trst year we should
ne Their prune nor pinch. We do moi
believe it does any good At the end
of the first season-in the Fall-we
! would cut down to two strong buds,
and during the second year these two
buds will each produce q cane. Once
I Or twice during the second season
we would pinch back the stronger
| lateral5, so a. TO cause the
two main canes and their bud:
to develop rs fully as possible. But
guard agains: all severe pruning and
| pinrhing; very many pinch 4 grape
| vine to death. The vine does moi
thrive il, consequence of the treat
ment. but in spite OF it. If during the
second season = heroic system OF prun
ing is adopted, in all probability the
buds which were designed for next Sea
son, will. be driven into premature
growth this season. At the end of the
| second season cut back the two ane:
to three BUDS, and this will leave siI
buds which the tnird year will produces
six canes, and these will probably bea,
fruit. but caro- must be taken not Il
permit them to overbear. and hence tn,
fruit had better D. thinned to about tel
bunches to the vine. i his third season
It will be in order to pinch lack to a.
lateraIS somewhat more closely thar
was done the second season, and wheI
the vines have got = little above thu
trells stop them
Now, after pruning by cutting three o
the canes down to two buds, and short
en.ng the other three canes to abou
three feet. we come into the fourth
year management The three cane
that were lett will produce branches
and each OF these will bear fruit. anC
we would advise that these branches b
stopped 1T the second leaf beyond tn,
last bunch Of fruit Each of the bud
left at the last pruning will produce :
cane which will bear truit during tn
following or fifth year. One mattel
needs attention. DO not permit any
thing to allow too heavy fruiting
! Nothing is gained by it. The lesson o
thinning fruit has been learned Ions
ago by our most experienced frui
growers. Judicious thinning not onl.
produces a better quality of fruit; bu
J it produces likewise 4 greater amount
No rules can ue laid down or thinning
as it must depend upon circumstances
the strength and vigor OF the vine ant
the variety of the grape, for instance
In the fall OF the fourth year the tire
} canes that have borne fruit may be Gu
: entirely away, and the three cane
! which are to fruit next year cut back t
about three feet.-Uestern RurdL.