VINE CULTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4271, 22 July 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

VINE CULTURE.

By J. C. Blackmore, Parxell. At the present time many are desirous for information on the cultivation of the vine, especially reliable instruction on pruning and training. The four systems described for out-door culture I believe to be the best for general vineyard culture. The system Xo. 5 is highly recommended by some cultivators. It is one of the systems of long rod pruning. From time to time there has been a long controversy as to which is best—long-rod, or tho system of spur pruning. Many writers and advocates of the long-rod system have asserted that it is the best and only mode worthy of adoption. For general culture of the vine mauy even carry their views to such extremes as to declare that the lower buds of the young canes are barren! Happily, one fact is worth any number of theories ■ for there are hundreds of thousands of vines in the wine-producing districts of Europe that are pruned back, to one and two eyes for a period of from fifty to one hundred years, and yet they live on and bear fruits in abundance, and of the best quality. The long-rod, as pi-iictiseil for house culture, I believe to be good. For out-door culture I prefer the spur system.

I will just briefly describe two of the most common modes of long-rod and spur-pruning practised for house-culture, and to enable the intending cultivator to better understand the object in pinching the young shoots, Ac. I will trictly describe the peculiar stages of growth, and some of the functions of the vine. Space will not allow me to go so fully into the subject as it deserves ; and in the modes of priming for out-door culture 1 will not describe anj new modes, but a few of those of the many which are practised, and which 1 can fully endorse, not only from close observation as a practical horticulturist, but from the well-known principle on which they ' are founded ; which are that the fruit-bearing • powers of the vine are more fully developed j when trained ina horizontal position than when ' perpendicular. The best buds for producing fruiting canes are from the lower buds, which are formed earliest in the season, as they are more fully developed, and the object ill training is to subdue, but not to weaken, the vine, but at the. s:\me time to accelerate its fruiting powers. • There are two systems of pruning, and their variations : spur pruning and hmg-r.id or renewal. Long-rod is thought the more : suitable tor indoor culture than out. One mode is as follows :■- Establish a stump with three strong brandies or collars, from each of which in its turn a shoot may be made to spring ; these by a regular system of pruning ' arc worked in successive lengths, the one bearing the whole length of the rafter, the | second half of tho length, mid the third j recently pruned back producing the renewal I shoot. I

The system of .spur pruning for house cillturu consists in carrying up one leading shoot to the back of the house, and establishing spurs thereon alternately up the stem at measured distances of about one loot apart, and the subsequent pruning simply consists in cutting annually the young wood on the spur back to one or two eyes, and when tUe vine breaks forth in the spring pinching off the point of the growing shoot one or two joints beyond the fruit, and pinching the ' laterals at the tirst joint to cheek the tendency of one shoot to overlap another, and to concentrate the energies of the vine in the immediate neighbourhood of the buueh and the permanent growth of the season. And it should be borne in mind that not more tlian half the shoots on a branch should be pinched at the one time, for there are three peculiar periods in the annual growth of the vine, and a medium must be followed in the stopping process -, and be brought to bear in just relation to those peculiar periods which are lirst the development of the bunch during which the pinching of shoots two joints beyond the fruit is carried out, as described above, which is completed before the vine is in llower, the entire growth being left untouched till the swelling fruit is visible. Then comes a second period or lirst swelling of the berry, diirin',' which the laterals are pinched, ainlcontimie todoso untilthestoniug period commences, during which time—about six weeks -the berries appear stationary, and the close stopping for a while ceases, or in part, and the leading shoot is allowed to ramble Treely. After thestoiiing period, the last swelling of the berry commences, and tho fruit acquires a llavour and colour which is a distinct crisis in the vino, during which period any laterals which shade or crowd in any degree the larger leaves are removed. This done, summer" pruning oases. Hut do not strip away leaves or spray, in older to throw sunlight on the fruit. The ripening process is conducted almost entirely by the leaves, and the fruit receives its colour through their a"encv. The fruit is ripened on the vine, or not at all. The leaf opposite to every branch of fruit, and the lower leaves next to the buds, which you cut back to, are fit" great importance, ami the object in pinching back is to cause the leaves to grow larger, thicker, and better able to assist iu perfecting tbe fruit. The food of plants is imbibed by tbe agency of the roots, and is propelled up a set of sap vessels, and distributed along each branch to every leaf. This appears to be a combination of the functions of those of tho lungs ami thestomach of animals, and by them tbe sap is converted into the peculiar juices of the plant supplying food to the fruit, and returning by another set of vessels situated in the bark duriii" its downward course, gradually leaving a deposit and increasing the Slue of wood, a. portion finally returning to the roots, there again to undergo a repetition of those changes, so peculiar to the functions of the plant. Having pointed out a few of those peculiar functions, it will thus be seen that there are certain general principles that govern the growth and fruit-producing powers of the vine; and all operations should be subservient to them, as tbe multiplication of roots depends on the extent and number of branches that arc allowed to grow. It will be readily seen how easy it is to have thorough control of tbe vine by cheeking the branches while glowing. It will then perfect a corresponding number of roots, which absorb a certain quantity of nutriment only, and teaching us that it is more dillieult to bring a Tine under control that has been left untrained and made vigorous growth unchecked, then a young vine early trained. ;No. I.—l'lant the vines iu rows, six feet apart, and eight apart in the row, and let but one cane grow the lirst season. Keep it tied to the stake and pinch back the laterals, to concentrate the growth into the one cane. The lateii-.ls from the two lowermost eyes of the cane will probably require to be pinched three times, the third and fourth twice, those above once.

At the end of the first season this cane is to be cut back to within fifteen or eighteen inches of the ground, and only the two uppermost buds .ire allowed to grow, all Others being rubbed oIV. Krom these two ill jolt buils two canes arc produced, eaeJi one of which should have the same treatment as did the single one of the previous season. This is the second season from planting. J he vines will produce two or three bunches of fruit ; but if the vine is not strong, they can be removed, and it at the end of the second season the canes are not strong, one of them should be cut away and the other cut back to two eyes and two canon should be grown as in the previous season ; but if tUe vine were strong when planted, the canes should lio stroii'' i'uoii"h for training at the end of this the second season ; for which a good form of treliie «an bo made as follows. .Select posts six and a half feet long ; set them in the ground two and a half feet ami eight feet apart; nail strips two and a half or three inches wide and one inch thick, one being horizontally one foot from the ground, and the other two or three inches from the top ; then nail strips perpendicularly at about eight or twelve inches apart, or, what is still better, use w i re — galvanised is best—by twisting it around the lower and upper bar, each strip or wire being placed just where the upright shoots are to grow. The arms are fastened to the lower bar and when the young shoots start, they are tied to the perpendicular bar third season the two canes of the previous season are now- shortened to four feet, and bent down horizontally in opposite directions, and laid against the lower bar of the trellia. Select buds oa the upper aido of

the branches, laid down at about six or ei«ht inches apart to grow into upright canes, aud instead of now fastening the vine at once to the lower bar, it is better to biiii" the euds down to the ground and fasten them in the sliajw of a how, with hooked pegs. By tills bending of the i-ancs it graduates the llow of sap, anil each bud then breaks evenly. When the buds have all started and made'a growth of two or three inches, then the arms should be brought up level and fastened horizontally to the lower bar of trellis. All buds and shoots not required for upright canes should be rubbed oil", and as soon as those remaining are large enough to tie to upright slat or wire, j it should be done, not tying too close, but fciving room enough to swell; each one of these upright canes will, if permitted, usually . produce bunches of fruit; and if the vine is ■ strong and vigorous, it will not injure it to d<» so, but it is better not to overload, for ; fear of injuring the future growth. When . the upper canes have grown to about two feet j they should be stopped by pinching off those ! ends two leaves beyoud the last bunch of fruit, which will be most proper when the cane has about live to eight leaves expanded. •The shoots after being stopped will soon start, aud after growing a few inches they should be cheeked. Again, all the laterals on the canes should be stopped, as though they were on young vines of the first season, The vine will now have twelve upright canes —six upon each side—which are distributed OH two arms of about four feet each. It is not expected that the arms will be of the exact length, or that upright canes will be exactly the same distance apart ; but, if care is taken in selecting the buds, there will be no material difference, aud would give eight inches space between each cane, which should be kept equally balanced in fruit aud foliage and wood, so that each cane gets its due share of nutriment by an equal distribution of the s:ip. .Strong growing varieties may bo allowed ten or twelve inches apart for the upright canes. The upright canes are pruned back the first year to two buds, which is the fourth year or season from planting. The next year a cane will proceed fi-iim each of these buds, and all other shoots which may start should be nibbed oil'. The fourth year the two canes will each produce at least three bunches of fruit, and instead of twelve upright cams there will be twenty-four, and the canes are to be treated as ley.udiug stopping laterals, &e.. :is during each year of their growth. The vine in Mih.scnm.iit years is to be pruned a.s follows: —Uy cutting entirely away the uppermost unites on each spur of the previous year's growth, which is now two canes, and .shortening this lower cane which is left after cutting one clean away, back to two eyes or buds. Rich year the pruning is reversed—that is, it the" left hand cane on the spur is cut away this season ; the right .should be cut next. I>y this means the spur will remain nearly upright : it will not increase much in length. It may be argued by some cultivators that this mode of pruning would greatly increase the length of spur from the horizontal branch. It would he very trifling, indeed, for the annual increase in diameter of the arm lessens the projection above the arm. At the end of this, the fourth, season the vino is considered established.

Its horizontal arms extend four feet on each Ride of the main stem, the arms from the next plant in row, of course, meeting and forming one continuous row, each vine confined within tho limits of eight feet each, the rows being six feet apart, making about nine hundred vines per acre. Thi» mode, though tedious to describe, is both simple and easily understood, and when the vines are onee put into shape, the pruning ever after is so nearly the same there is no danger of going wrong. I believe it to be one of the best modes of training tho vine ; it harmonises with the general development; it does not unnecessarily dwarf but keeps it under thorough control; it develops the fruitbearing powers, which is the main object in all modes of pruning and training; the upright canes are equally distributed on the arms, and the flow of sap is equal to all parts ; and it will be seen that a vine with two arms, four feet long, with twelve upright canes on each, making twenty-four canes, three feet long, has sixty-six feet of wood to be grown and pruned away each season ; for even the most vigorous growers there certainly should be suilici'ji'.t expansion to insure hcihiiv root action.

There is a two-tier system of training uptm the same principle. It requires one more year to perfect ; but 1 reoiiniicnd the one tier in preference to it, as we get such high winds. Again, the vines being trained l'.vv, the fruit receives a greater amount of lu-at than it mure elevated, because it not only gets the direct rays of the sun, but also the heat is rellected from the earth.

; No ■_'. —The following system is founded upon tlie well-known principle that the ex j pansioii and amount of root maybe restricted j by controlling the top, and is recommended I only fur poor, light, sandy soils. I The plan is as follows: Plant the vines j four ami a halt feet apart, in the rows, and the rows six feet apart, let but one cane ' grow, and keep it tied to a stalk. The first ! point to be gained is to get one cane six to • ten feet luiii;, and if not obtained the fust I season, cut b:iek and try again. This strong I cane is cut back to four feet, and then ; layered by digging a trench six inches deep, ' running from vine to vino, bend down the i vine and fasten them to the bottom, and ; leave them uncovered, leaving a space of a '• few inches between the end of each vine, i when layered and next vine in the row ' when the young shoots have made a growth ! of an inch or two. Select from four to six buds ' forunrightcanes.anilrubtlieothersott". Puta ' stake to each, and when long enough tie it ! up. When the young canes are one foot I high, an inch or two of soil may be put in ' around them ; and if the soil be very poor, a i small <iuantity of honcdust may be mixed j with the soil. Then as the canes make 1 growth gradually till up during tho growth I of each cane pinch the laterals as directed I for plan No. 1 the first season. i The second year's pruning consists in I cutting the canes back twelve to fifteen i inches from the ground, ami rubbing all oil" I but the upper two buds. These two canes are treated the same as though the arms I wore above ground and fastened to the lower I bar, instead of being a foot and a half below j it. The vine is spur pruned, but the spurs ! are ei"hteeu inches at the commencement, i and are pruned each year, as if they were i short spurs upon horizontal bars. This mode I is very suitable for varieties of vines, which ' ave very feeblu in growth, for tho increased j strength which is given to the vines causes I the roots to issue from every portion that is I buried, and each spur is not only furnished ! with roots at its base, but it also has the j assistance of the original roots. The amount j of fruit per acre is about the same as with ! system No. 1 ; but at the first planting . requires double the number of vinos. The j pinching of fruit canes and stopping the laterals are the same as formerly and the same style of trellis. ! Xo. 3. —For the first season after planting 1 train up one cane at the first pruning season, '• prune down to eighteen or twenty-four inches ! from the ground; rub all eyes but the upper j two oil" the second season, allow but two canes to grow. Pinch off the toja of each ! cane when they have giown five or six feet, , if the vines worn strong when planted. They ' produce fruit the second seasou ; if so, pinch ' ofT the tops of each cane. When it has ! grown about two feet, this will assist the development of the fruit, when they have ' crown twelve or eighteen inches stop them again, and the laterals when they have grown nine to twelve inches. ; Tho third year's pruning consists in cutting the two canes back to two eyes each, and ' training four shoots and tying to the stakes i t j lo f, mr shoots will usually bear about ' twelve bunches of fruit. ■ The fourth season the canes are primed down to two buds, and eight canes are allowed to grow or two may be cut entirely away and leave but two buds on the others, which I think is the better of the two, if only one stake is used. When eight or twelve caues are allowed to grow, they are usually trained to a small trellis and spread out. The pruning after the fourth seasou consists in cutting a portion of the canes clear away, and leaving only those buds which are required to produce fruiting canes, that is, if

six canes are required six buds only are left. This system is practised with great success in many wine districts in Kurope, and the vines remain healthy «nd bear fruit continuously for fifty years and more of the best quality : a very plain proof that the system is not a bad one.

No. 4.—This is sometimes: called the bow system, and is as follows :—The vine is cut down to eighteen inches the first season, and two shoots are trained up the second season. One cane is cut down to two buds and the other to eight or twelve, the end of the long cane is brought around and tied across the stake so as to form half a circle. The fruit 13 niaialy produced on Hie how, and the young bearing shoots are stopped two or three leaves beyond the List bunch of fruit. The two buds left on the spur are allowed to grow and form canes, one of which is taken for the bow lt'jxt season. The canes which has borne one reason is cut clean away. The same plan is pursued every year, oue of the two canes is cut at a sufficient length to form the bow, and the others cut back to two or three buds. .Some cultivators claim for this system that it hastens the fruit in maturity by the severe check it gives to the flow of sap.

Others that one portion of the vine is severely checked, while another is allowed to grow freely as the circulation of the sap in the bow becomes less rapid as the upright cane advances. And the fruit is only partially supplied with nutriment at a time when it i 3 most needed.

Xo. s.—The vines are planted four feet apart, anil are grown and j)runed in the same manlier as when training for plan No. 1, until the lime of funning the arm ; then only one cane is laid down horizontally, and the other cane is cut down to three buds. the buds on the horizontal cane push six buds on the arm, or canes are selected for upright caucs t<. produce fruit for the present season, and the others rubbed off some few cultivators do not remove any of the buds, but allow each to produce fruit. The three buds left upon the other canes are allowed to glow, and if the vine is a strong one, all the buds will prodiu-e fruit. The bearing canes on the arm are to be stopped at the usual height, while th-'Se on the main spur, and directly over the stock, are allowed to grow above those on the arm and remain unchecked until later in the season, and by .some not checked at all. At the next pruning the horizontal cane or arm, which has borne fruit the previous year, is cut clean away to the main stein, aud one of the upright canes is brought down to replace it, of the two remaining upright caucs out! is cut back to three eyes or buds, the other cane cut entirely away, the same: system being followed year after year.

There are various other modes of long-roil pruning and training, such as alternate rencn\il Ac, the system Xo. a I think to be one of the best modes of long rod pruning for out-door culture. It has been described latterly by many writers, and its defects have been pointed out in a most clear and explicit manner. The first three years or so many varieties do well. After that time the fruit on the arm seems to gradually lack for nutriment, although the fruit sets freely, and does well until the three canes are a few inches above those on the arms. The sap will then flow more freely into the perpendicular canes, and with greater rapidity, than into the dwarfer, and this diversion of the course of the sap takes place just at a tiiue when the fruit on the arm needs it most. When the buds on the arm first start, they require so much sap to sustain them, it Hows with as much force into the arm as into the other portions ; but when these canes on the arm are checked, and the others allowed to run, the equilibrium is destroyed. If the upright canes were all stopped at the same height, then the plan is good ; but it then becomes simply the horizontal arm system. It is an easy matter for the intended vinegrower to try a few vines on each plan described before fully adopting either; but I would first point out one thing which does net seem to be understood, that there are many ways of fruiting the vine, which at first maj- appear to be a system, but in practice what had appeared at the commencement to be a system is found to suddenly wind up, after about the third season, or so nearlj so that no uniform mode of pruning can be followed. It should be borne in mind that the growth of the vine is governed by natural laws ; and although, the details of" all systems may be slightly varied, yet it must be not so as to undermine the structure on which the different systems arc built. There is certainly much depending upon the adaptation of varieties of the grape t.i dUi'crc-nt localities, as well as the mode of culture adopted; and more attention is required with reference to sheltered positions, for a vineyard, either naturally or by artih.cinl planting. And when these things are t better understood, the cultivation of the vine in the open air will be a decided success, in spite of the remarks we so often hear, that the vine will not do in the open air in this province. The success of grape culture also depends much upon a general diffusion of practical information. We may then gather from the experience of others that which is of considerable value to ourselves, and by sifting principles from prejudices, we may arrive at facts relative to Jgrape cnlture, which will be of considerable value to every settler in this province, anil a lasting benefit to the country at large. To a great extent this desirable object might be attained by those already having experience in the cultivation of the vine in different localities, I making known the results of their labours through the medium of the Press, imparting freely that which they had learnt to benefit their fellow-settlers.