VINEYARD WORK FOR FEBRUARY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 1, 15 January 1913, Page 73

VINEYARD WORK FOR FEBRUARY.

S. F. Anderson.

European Vines on Espalier Fences.

The growth of the vines this month is very strong, and the principal work, is the moderate suppression of the fruit-bearing . shoots growing up from the horizontally extended rod, and the training and tying of the strong canes growing from the stem along the top wire. The pinching or stopping of the first should not be done until they nearly reach the top of the espalier fences. It is a good plan to have the second wire from the bottom duplicated—that is, two wires at that place about 4 in. to 6 in. apart. Where ordinary fencing-posts are used to carry the wires a wire strained at the same height on each side, of the posts provides the . right space. Then, before they get too long the fruit-bearing shoots can be tucked up between these wires, and are thus kept in their place. This saves a lot of tying. -Regarding the training of four strong upright shoots or canes from the stem, these are to provide two rods for tying along the bottom wire in the winter, and to bear the fruit for the following season, and two to be cut back for spurs. At the present time, however, these are allowed unrestricted growth, and are trained along the top wire until pruning-time, merely seeing that they do not branch out by pinching in their side shoots.

If the season is fairly warm and dry there will not be much danger from black-spot and mildew. On the other hand, if moist close weather prevails, a spraying of Bordeaux mixture for black-spot and a further sulphuring for mildew may be necessary.

Keep the ground well cultivated, as this brings on the fruit. The radiated heat from cultivated soil increases the sugar in the grapes—a very important matter where the grapes are intended for wine-making. The earlier-ripening grapes such as the Golden Chasselas will be coming on towards the end of the month and will require to be protected from the birds.

Treatment of the Albany Surprise, Isabella, and other American Grape-vines.

These differ from the European varieties of vines in that they will not stand the control ■of their summer, growth to the same degree. They therefore require as much room as’ an ordinary orchard-tree.

Just the amount of restraint of their summer growth without permanently affecting their vigour has not yet been clearly demonstrated, but wherever they have been subjected to the same treatment as the European the result has been a falling-away. Growing them in a circle, with the main branches radiating from the centre and kept off the ground by forked sticks, is the best that can be suggested. Bulletin No. 11 (new series) describes the culture best adapted to these vines. Although practically immune from mildew they are subject to blackspot, though in a less degree than the European vines.