The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1920-01-30

wood Zone year older than itself
may usually be counted on for bear
ing wood on which we can depend
Tor the coming crop. A cane arising
from wood two or more years old is
llNely to be long ointed with few
buds. These buds rarely produce
fruit. They will, however, produce
shots the following year, which, if
retained, should produce fruit the
second year
A mature grape vine should have
from sixty to eighty buds on good.
one year old fruiting wood, after be-
ing pruned. Weak vines or vines
winch have made little growth during
Ihe preceding season should be cut
pack to forty or sixty buds. Vines
winch have made an excessive heavy
growth of wood during the proceed
ing season should be left eighty to
one hundred buds. A good prunner
IS able to estimate the number of
ouds 1T IS necessary to leave with
out counting, by merely noting the
condition of the vine.
There are a number of methods If
pruning, but there is one which gives
oeIter results for Arkansas condi-
tlons than others This method is
TO prune in such way that the new
fruit bearing wood win he lott as
caness; II containing about six buds
Ihis VIII mean that on an average
heaithy vine we should leave from
eight to twelve healthy canes about
SIX buds lon gand as many short
spurs. These short spurs will bear
some fruit but the main object in
leaving them is to produce new wood
Tor the coming year.
Our object in leaving the f,1,it-
bearing cane for the coming wear six
ouds long is that an ordinary cane
eight to sixteen buds long will usual
~ produce fruit from only about civ
buds; the others bearing only short
canes and foliage. The largest
amount of fruits are born on tho tbirJ
~ ehe sixth bud counting from the
base Since only abuot six buds will
produce fruit and the sixth which pro.
uuce the most fruit are those which
are closest to the parent plant. wood
ooth new and old in excess of the
amount already spoken of, should be
cut away The new Bearing wood
should be Just as close to the main
trunk as possible. 1t is not des;r-
aDle to have long arms of old wood
the further the fruit bearing wood
IS from the main trunk. the fewer tho
puHches Will be and the smaller tho
berries will be in the lunches
grape vines must be supported nv
sohe sort OF trellis. We usually pet
me pest results with an ordinary two
"lfe trellls, with the rows ,unn;yo
north and south. A fan system IF
framing is best for Arkansas cond;
tlons, BY this method we have ~
~ 'nree man stems which arise from
.he ground. One is trained to the
top wire with short arms RUNNING in
either direction; the other two are
framed to the lower wire RUNNING
IN either direction.
Where young vines are being start
ed they should be allowed to GROW !
at Will the first year without sunno,t |
or training. At pruning time all thatl
is necessary is to cut away all but |
the canes desired for the main Trunks
ana cut these back to very few |
ouds. In cases where plants have
made very vigorous growth, the ton /
OF one cane may be left long enough /
to tie to the top wire. The sesond !
season stakes should be set to which |
the young canes can be tied or trel- |
Uses built to which the young plants
may be trained. Pruning the sec |
ond season consists in cutting away |
all but the three main stems select
ing branch to run either way on
the top wire and train one stem each
way on the lower wire. These
should all be shortened back when
time comes The third |
year there should be a fairly good |
development of wood from each stem
and few fruited canes may be left |
1t is not well however to leave more
than two fruiting canes about six
buds long to each of the main stems. |
If there are side branches on these |
canes they should be cut back to one
or two buds.