Imperial Valley press and the Imperial press., 1906-12-22
GRAPE GROWING
(Continued from 9th page


 tuned. An important point to be con hered at this time is the formation oi |e crown. This may be anticipated d aided very much by training the he somewhat during the latter part Of e growing season of the first year. Up the position of the crown or head de- nds the position of the vine and its hnches. The crown should be high bugh SO that the punches of grapes 'nging from the branches will not bch the ground to become moldy or e their bloom from rubbing. Prac- elsewhere suggests that the crown from six to twelve inches from the Iund. The crown increases in height h age. A suitable branch should be ected during the summer and staked as to assume and retain vertical po- on. The point at which this branch ut in the fall becomes the crown and m it several buds will start and be- he branches. All buds on the branch DIV this point should be considered fuckers and removed as undesirable. turing the following season the vine- dist should see that all buds start below the point selected as crown removed and kept off as they con- le to come. If this practice be care followed the stump of the vine will become woody and buds cease to n if not, most of the energy will go hese lower branches and the vine soon have several crowns instead oi The lower branches will take most ne plant food, will make great long CTS and will not produce the quality uantity of fruit that the branches 5e would produce at the end Of the nd year.
 ith proper practice a crown will formed, which will be an enlarge t of the stem, from which are grow several branches something like the es in the hub of wheel. There Id be no branches below the crown. these should be carefully pruned ose to the stem. The branches Of rown should be pruned to spurs og two or three buds each, but hav- nough spurs to utilize the energy e vine. Great long spurs should be left, for the energy goes to the buds and those buds between them he crown die or remain dormant, the result that in year or so be- the original crown other crowns brmed on the ends of these prongs. lon as crown begins to form on it ceases to produce vigorous buds hould be clipped away, thus fore it new buds and prongs from the al crown. The crown is the moth buds and these buds will, the fol- g year. become prongs, which are bduce the grapes. If vine seems pw too rank, more prongs should and encouraged to come from own and not leave more buds to a Pruning is simple matter af- .e crown has been once established Bsfully.
 hr the pruning is done at the end second season, the brush must be ed. This may either be hauled
 wagons or burned in place. When luner has finished the vine he
 with the foot, rake all the brush br kick it into the center. When
 completed row and starts down xt the brush should be kicked out
 e same center, thus leaving every ate center free. A good practice
 tral California is to burn the in a brush burner. This burner per shaped, 8 or 10 feet long and
 vide at the top and tapers to the
 where there is a grating to al-
 the escape of the ashes. The
 is of iron and is drawn through
 d and the brush thrown into it by
 man from either side. The burn
 ontinuous. The ashes are evenly
 lted through the field and thus
 tie of the fertilizing elements are
 Id from the vineyard.
 Pomposition of the grape itself is
 water from the soil and the sug- ] 4 L. {