The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-13
Summer Pruning of Vines.

Vick's Magazine.
Nothing is more common than to allow grape
vines to grow without attention, letting the new
growth Of wood and leaves 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 culti-
vator thought that something should be done.
He starts in with large knife-f he fails to
have sickle or grass hook, in which case that
is used-and an indiscriminate shearing is made,
cutting away two-thrds Of ali 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. All growth depends
upon the leaf of plant. not only that of the
stem, but the flowers and the fruit; the ripen-
ing process Is wholly dependent upon the leaves;
denude aplant OF leaves permanently and that
is the end Of oil life in it, Every process of the
plant from the first movement in the spring
throughout it's entire growth, including the
blooming, the setting of the fruit. its gradual
increase to full maturity and rirening, all de-
pend upon the leaves. When this is understood
it will be perceived what pernicious practice is
that of removing large portion of the foliage
of grapevnes. And yet this practice has been
widely adopted, and it is not improbable that
some who may read these lines will have already
this summer so treated their vines, or are in
tedding to do So
What, then, is summer pruning. which is so
often mentioned2 It consists of several opera
| ing 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, disbudding, as
| theabovedescribed operation is called, has been
neglected. and growth has commenced, the
| 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. Thou
| sands of acres of vineyards, in
| fact the great body Of them in
| this country, have no other summer pruning
| than this. The new canes as they grow are tied
| up or are allowed to droop over, according to
| the general method of pruning and training
adopted, and the whole of it is preserved never
removing leaf. But summer pruning is car
| ried further by some sud consists in stopping
| the growth of the young canes by pinching with
| thumb and finger the tender growing point, thus
| stopping its extension. The general rule OBJ
| served in pinching Is to stop the growth at the
| third leaf beyond the last bunch of fruit
| After this has been done the uppermost
bud the one in the axil of the last leaf,
1 will rapidly swell and start, sending out a new
shoot; after this has made two or three leaves
pinching is again resorted to, and this is usually
sufficient to keep the growth within the limits of
| the trellis. The object is to leave sufficient
4 foliage for the perfect action of the vine, and
get to hold it 30 ia check that while the trels is
covered il does not much overlap, the whole be-
! ing fully exposed to the sun. This method of
plnching is pursued usually on vines that are
| spur-pruned, and which, consequently have a
| great number of growing shoots Careful train
/ ing is required to enable one to employ it judi
cio,lsly and with beneficial results. We shall be
| pleased to hear from those of our readers who
| are interested in grape growing, giving aeco unit
| of their modes of pruning and training