Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-06-16

Preparing Vines for Cropping.
II the plants have done well they
should be ready for such preparation
in about eighteen months more or less.
according to the season. Formerly In
this colony they were allowed to grow
until spell of dry weather set in prior
to the usual blossoming time. The
growing ends were then cut off and all
new shoots removed as they showed
till flowers began to come or till the
season for them was past. When tAe
dry spell proved long one, this seem.
ed to answer pretty well; and, indeed,
under these circumstances flowers
would come in any case, whether
growth was checked or not. But 1t Is
more usual to stop the growing ends
some nine or ten months, in the first
instance, before Towering time In the
majority OF cases the terminal bud will
push, and this new shoot should also
be removed when five or six inches
long, not earlier, else the next to the
last bud is apt to grow.
Six Weeks to Develop.
After the second checking most
vines will shoot far enough back to
allow Of the shoots being left. These
grow on for the next year, and the
stopped branches hang Town with
their lower ends a good loot or more
from the ground, being generally from
four to six feet In length, according to
the heights of the forks through which
they are hung and the positions of tho
new shoots, though these generally
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the checked branches, which are to be
the cropping parts. The new growths
behind these are supposed to drain
them OF their sap, and thus conduce to
Towering. However that may be-
these checked hanging branches have
certainly more tendency to flower than
other parts of the vines. Flowers take
some six weeks to develop from the
moment they burst through the buds
to their time of opening, but this pc
rlod varies in length with the weather,
continuous dryness retarding and mod.
crate showers Fastening their develop
ment when once started.
More Checking Necessary.
| The growing branches vi vines
should now be checked again for the
ytui HtSt Will DC
less troublesome in putting out incon.
venient shoots. as the plants sap is
more apt to go into towering branches,
where nourishment Is now more need.
ed. Could the whole work be perform.
ed in a few days. this change in the
direction Of sap flow should be done
preferably ten days or a fortnight be.
fore flowers begin to open. In large
plantation, unless the hands are very
numerous or the shoots lave been ar
ranged beforehand so that there is lit.
tie else to do than cut their ends, II
will take some weeks to accomplish
this. and therefore work must begin
earlier or finish later. II the dry spell
necessary Tor Towering has lasted q
good while and can fairly be depended
upon to continue long enough. the
Igrowing ends may be cut earlier; but
II must be borne in mind that II rain In
Quantity comes too soon and. in add
ton to the stimulus given by 1t, the
branches intended for Towering have
also the sap from previously growing
shoots poured into them. the chance
of their cropping well will be much di
minished. Many promise Of a fine
crop is ruineG by too early rain here
The country, climate. and the plant
er's skill as a weather prophet musi
govern this undertaking.
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