Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-01-18
ARKANSAS VALLEY HORTICULTURE.
The Otcro County Horticultural So
/ cicty Discusses Grape and
Apple Pruning.

Apple Tr"""S'
The regular meeting of the
Otero County Horticultural So
ciety was held at Rocky Ford,
Saturday, Jan. IS, r. o. McClain,
president, in the chair, and W. G.
Steele, secretary. The increased
attendance from distant portions
of the county indicated growing
interest in the objects of the So
ciety. The promise is that the
organization will soon grow to a
size and importance commensur-
ate with the extent and value of
the farming interest which it
seeks to promote.
T.. E. Blake, for the committee
on bylaws, asked further time in
which to make their report. CThe
other members of the committee
are Hon. j. II. Crowley and G. w.
Fenlason.)
w. G. Steele, for the committee
on hall, reported that the G.. A. r.
hall could be secured for 81 per
meeting. Report approved and
contract ordered made.
Several new members were re-
ceived.
Il. E. Blake, of Fowler, then
read the following paper on grape
pruning, illustrated by the natural
vines and blackboard drawings to
show the manner of training on
the trellis:
PRUNING OF GRAPES.
In speaking of this subject I
shall commence with the first year,
or the year of setting the vine.
1 would prune the young vine
back to one stem, leaving only one
eye or bud upon that, and force
the whole strength of the vine in
that. During the season all the
side shoots or lateral vines should
be pinched back if you intend
them as stump or stalk vines. If
for trellis, you should leave one
branch about IL or Is inches from
the ground, so you can take one
each way on the trellis. 1 will
only speak of the trellis vines, as
most all are trellised in this coun-
try. The second year the old
growth should be cut back to with
in one eye, or bud, of the forks of
the vine, and all growths beneath
the forks should be removed, and
would force all the growth into
the main branches again. During
the growing season all side branoh-
es or lateral growth should be
pinched back again as before. By
no means allow great mass of
growth to start and cut it all back
all at once. That would injure
the vine and stop its growth, and
will take some weeks for it to re-
cover. If you should neglect them
and such a growth starts, which
surely will if you care for your
vines properly. cut them back a
few at a time until you get the
vine under control again. AT the
end of the second year you should
have two good, long and stout
branches from which to grow n
crop of grapes the third year. AT
the beginning of the third year,
the same as the second, you will
have but little pruning to do and
no rubbish in your vineyard to
clean out or work over. All you
will have to do in the way of
spring work is spreading good
coat of we'll rotted manure and
stir it into the soil, and cut back
your vines to about three or four
eyes or buds on each branch of
the second years growth. All of
these eyes will start new branches
and each branch will give bloom
buds, about two or three in num-
ber. These should be carefully
tied up as soon as the fruit forms.
AS you are tieing up your fruit
vines you should commence the
pinching back process again and
force all the growth and strength
into the fruit and main stalks. The
result will be, you will have a good
vine that will bear for years, and
two or three dozen punches of as
fine grapes as you ever saw, large
and the best of flavor. A four
year-old vine I would cut back
just as before and not leave more
than two buds on each cane or lat
eral you started and fruited from
last year, and possibly one new
bud on the old or main cane, max
ing in all IS at the outside limit.
I would advise cutting back one
of the fruit stems and leave but
three laterals on each branch of
two buds each, making 12 instead
of Is buds to bear the fruit. 1t is
best not to burden the vines by
leaving too many fruit buds, more
than the vines ale able to produce,
and thus injure your vines by
shortening their lives and cutting
upon the grape crop in weight. 1t
is true, you will have more bunch
es, but you have gained nothing in