St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-14
Summer Pruning vines.

Nothing is more common than to allow
grape vines to grow without attention, let
ting the new growth of leaves and wood
run together and over each other and to fall
down over the fruit. When this has gone
on until July or August there arises in the
mind of the would-be cultivator thought
that something should be done. He starts
i'll with large knfe-if he fails to have a
sickle or grass hook. in which case that is
used-and an Indiscriminatc shearing is
made, cutting away two-thirdS of all the
new growth, and often leaving the fruit
exposed without a single leaf beyond it on
the stem. This is done with the absurd idea
that it is necessary to expose the fruit to
the sun to ripen it. Ali growth depends
upon the leaf of plant, not only that of
the stem, but the flowers and the fruit; the
ripening process is wholly dependent upon
the leaves Denude plant of leaves per-
manently and that is the end of all life in
it, Every process of the plant from the
first movement in the spring throughout its
entire growth, including the blooming, the
setting of the fruit, its gradual increase to
full maturity and rpening, all depend upon
the leaves. When this is understood, it
will be preceved what pernicious prac-
tice is that of removing a large portion of
the foliage OF grapevines. And yet this
practice has been widely adopted. and it is
not improbable that some who read these
lines will have already, this summer, SO
treated their vines, or are intending to do so.
What, then, is summer pruning, which
is so often mentioned? 1t consists of sew
eral operations. The first is merely rub
bling off the swelling buds in the spring,
when they are judged to be in excess.
Some skillful vine-growers never go beyond
this. being able to regulate the entire
growth of the season by timely attention
before the leaves appear. If. however, dis
budding, as the above-described operation
is called. has been neglected, and growth
has commenced, tho young shoots but
few inches in length can be removed to the
extent thought best, leaving only as many
canes to grow and bear as the vine is
thought able to sustain. Thousands of
of them in this country, have no
other summer pruning than this. The new
canes as they grow up are tied up, OF al
lowed to drop over. according to the gen.
eral method of pruning and training adopted.
and the whole of the growth is preserved,
never removing leaf. But summer prun-
ing is carried further by some and consists
in stopping the growth of the young canes
by pinching, with thumb and fingers, the
tender growing point, thus stopping its ex-
tension. The general rule observed in
pinching is to stop the growth at the third
leaf beyond the last bunch of fruit.
After this has been done, the upper
most bud, the one in the aXil of
the last leaf, will rapidly swell
and start, sending out new shoot; after
this has made two or three leaves pinching
is again resorted to, and this is usually suf
ticient to keep the growth within the limits
of the trellis. The object is to leave suii
Gent foliage for the perfect action of the
vine and yet to hold it so in check that
while the treilis is covered it does not much
overlap. the whole being fully exposed to
the sun. This method of pnching is pur
sued usually on vines that are ur-pruned,
and which consequently have great num-
Der of growing shoots. Careful training is
required to enable one to employ it judi
ciously and with beneficial results.-Vick's
Magazine.