The independent., 1907-03-07
Garden and Fruit
Pruning the Grapevine.


the amateur fruit grower than any
other kind of fruit This neglect is due
largely to the lack of definite direc-
tions, and plain principles which the
average grower may readily apply to
the care Of the vineyard.
With the orchard trees the princi-
pies of pruning are more natural and
so simple as to be easily practiced by
any grower who is blessed with good
tree sense.
There are several systems Of prun-
ing and training the grapevine as
adopted by professional vineyardists.
either Of which are good
Without entering into a discussion
Of these several methods or giving
minute details of the work, | will give
the following directions, making the
leading principles as plain as possible
so that the beginner may readily learn
to apply them
|. At the close Of the first seasons
growth cut the vines back to the
ground, leaving only three to five buds.
During the second season there
should be but from two to four canes
allowed to grow, and the laterals
tbranches) should be pnched off from
these, SO as to induce a strong cane
Of good length for training to the erel-
lis
3. Tie these canes at the beginning
Of the third season to a trellis Of two
or three wires. They should be spaced
so as to give fan shape appearance
to the entire vine Their length
should be limited to five or six feet.
4. Short laterals from these main
canes may be trained along the several
wires
5. The growth for the third season
should be cut back during the follow
| ing winter SO as to leave only short
spurs containing from three to five
/ buds. These are the 'fruiting spurs"
| g. Each year thereafter the new
growth should be pruned away so as
to leave only from twenty to thirty Of
these fruiting spurs, or from sixty to
100 fruit buds. The number of fruit
buds to be left must be determined
largely by the general vgor Of the
vine, and also by the amount of room
the vine has on the trellis
7. Remember, in conclusion, that an
oyergrowth of vine does not induce
a good quality of fruit The fruit
must have light and air in order to
acquire size, color and sweetness For
this reason the better grapes will usu-
ally be found along the top vine. The
top wire should be the larger in order
to support this larger weight Of fruit.
! The larger proportion of the fruit
spurs should accordingly be left for
| the upper wire. Summer pruning, IL
practiced should consist in shortening
the laterals on which the fruit is
formed, so as to induce a larger share
of the vines energy towards the fruit.
The Hot BED.
March is the season when we turn
our thoughts toward the early garden
work. The hot bed is an important
factor in securing early plants of cab
bage and tomato, or an early growth
for the table Of lettuce and radish
This may be made very cheaply and
simply as the tastes of the gardener
may dictate.
The frame on which the sash are to
rest should be six feet in width and of
such length as to accommodate the
required number of sash. each three
feet in width The front edge of frame
should be six or eight inches lower
than the back. A pit should be dug
six or eight inches wider than the
frame so as to permit a better degree
Of heat about the edges of bed. This
pit should be from twelve to eighteen
inches in depth and filled with horse
manure that is already in the heating
before putting in the soil. Care must
be taken to allow plenty of ventilation
during the first stage, as the heat from
the manure is often too strong for
the young plants. Cabbage, radish
and lettuce are all hardy plants and
. will require more air than the more
tender tomatoes. peppers. melons etc.
The latter may be started by the first
OF April and be in good season for
transplantlng after danger OF frost Is
past.
The Geld Frame.
This is simply hot bed frame COW
cred with glass but with no manure
underneath II ls designed for the use
Of the hardy plants such as cabbage.
! caulifiowcr. celery lettuce, radiah. etc.
These seeds may be sown In the early
fail and allowed Ia come up and win
ter over hy covering the frames with
coarse straw,
or the seeds may be aown late In
f.. -.