THE UPRIGHT SYSTEMS.
The upright systems are the oldest and best known of the styles of
American grape training. They consist, essentially, in carrying out two
horizontal canes, or sometimes arms, upon a low wire and training the
shoots from them vertically upwards. These shoots are tied to the upper
wires as they grow. This type was first clearly and forcibly described
in detail by A. S. Fuller, in his "Grape Culturist," in 1864, and it
became known as the Fuller system, although it was practiced many years
previous to this time.
_Horizontal Arm Spur System._--There are two types or styles of this
upright system. The older type and the one described in the books, is
known as the Horizontal Arm Spur training. In this method, the two
horizontal branches are permanent, or, in other words, they are true
arms. The canes are cut back each fall to upright spurs upon these arms,
as explained on page 15 (fig. 4.) Two shoots are often allowed to grow
from each of these spurs, as shown in fig. 7. These spurs become
overgrown and weak after a few years, and they are renewed from new
shoots which spring from near their base or from the arm itself.
Sometimes the whole arm is renewed from the head of the vine, or even
from the ground.
[Illustration: 7. HORIZONTAL ARM SPUR TRAINING.]
The number of these upright canes and their distance apart upon these
permanent arms depend upon the variety, the strength of the vine and
soil and the fancy of the grower. From twelve to twenty inches apart
upon the arm is the common distance. If a vine is strong enough to carry
five canes and the vines are eight feet apart, then the canes are
distributed at intervals of about twenty inches. Some very strong vines
of vigorous varieties will carry eight canes upon the two arms
together, and in this case the canes stand about a foot apart. In the
fall or winter, the cane is cut away and the strongest new cane which
springs from its base is left for the bearing wood of the following
year. This new cane is itself headed in to the height of the trellis;
that is, if the uppermost and lowermost wires are 34 inches apart--as
they are in the Brocton vineyards of western New York, where this system
is largely used--this new cane is shortened in to 34 inches long. Upon
this length of cane there will be about seven good buds in the common
varieties.
[Illustration: 8. HORIZONTAL ARM. (Diagram.)]
A modification of this horizontal arm system is shown in fig. 9. It is
used about Forestville, in Chautauqua county, New York. The arms in this
case are very short, and canes are taken out only at two or three
places. The picture shows a vine in which two canes are taken from the
end of each arm, making four canes for the bearing top of the vine.
These canes are cut back to spurs in the fall, as explained in the above
paragraph. Sometimes one or two other canes are taken out of these arms
nearer the main trunk. The advantages urged for this style of training
are the stronger growth which is insured by so few canes, and the small
amount of old or permanent wood which is left to each vine.
[Illustration: 9. SHORT ARM SPUR TRAINING.]
The horizontal arm training is less popular than it was twenty years
ago. It has serious faults, especially in the persistence of the old
spurs, and probably will eventually give place to other systems. Aside
from the spur pruning, the system is much like the following, which is a
modification to allow of a renewal pruning and to which the reader is
referred for further details. This modification, which may be called the
High Renewal, and which is one of the most serviceable of any of the
styles of training, although it has never been fully described, we shall
now consider.
_The High Renewal_, or upright training which is now very extensively
employed in the lake regions of New York and elsewhere, starts the head
or branches of the vine from eighteen to thirty inches from the ground.
The ideal height for most varieties is probably about two feet to the
first wire, although thirty inches is better than eighteen. If the vines
are lower than two feet, they are liable to be injured by the plow or
cultivator, the earth is dashed against the clusters by heavy rains, and
if the shoots become loose they strike the ground and the grapes are
soon soiled. A single trunk or arm is carried up to the required height,
or if good branches happen to form lower down, two main canes are
carried from this point up to the required distance to meet the lower
wire, so that the trunk becomes Y-shaped, as seen in figs. 10, 16 and
17. In fact, vineyardists usually prefer to have this head or crotch a
few inches below the lowest wire, to facilitate the spreading and
placing of the canes. The trellis for the upright systems nearly always
comprises three wires, although only two are sometimes used for the
smaller growing varieties, and very rarely four are used for the
strongest kinds, although this number is unnecessary. The lowest wire is
stretched at eighteen, twenty-four or thirty inches from the ground, and
the two upper ones are placed at distances of eighteen or twenty inches
apart.
[Illustration: 10. THE SECOND SEASON OF UPRIGHT TRAINING.]
[Illustration: 11. MAKING THE T-HEAD.]
The second season after planting should see the vine tied to the first
wire. Fig. 10 is a photograph taken in July, 1892, of a Concord vine
which was set in the spring of 1891. In the fall of 1891 the vine was
cut back to three or four buds, and in the spring of 1892 two of these
buds were allowed to make canes. These two canes are now tied to the
wire, which was stretched in the spring of 1892. In this case, the
branches start near the surface of the ground. Sometimes only a single
strong shoot grows, and in order to secure the two branches it is broken
over where it passes the wire, and is usually tied to a stake to afford
support. Fig. 11 shows this operation. A bud will develop at the bend or
break, from which a cane can be trained in the opposite direction from
the original portion, and the T-head is secured.
[Illustration: 12. THE THIRD SEASON OF HIGH RENEWAL.--CONCORD.]
[Illustration: 13. HIGH RENEWAL, BEFORE PRUNING.--CATAWBA.]
The close of the second season after planting, therefore, will usually
find the vine with two good canes extending in opposite directions and
tied to the wire. The pruning at that time will consist in cutting off
the ends of these canes back to firm and strong wood, which will leave
them bearing from five to eight buds. The third season, shoots will grow
upright from these buds and will be tied to the second wire, which has
now been supplied. Late in the third season the vine should have much
the appearance of that shown in fig. 12. The third wire is usually added
to the trellis at the close of the second season, at the same time that
the second wire is put on; but occasionally this is delayed until the
close of the third season. Some of the upright shoots may bear a few
grapes this third season, but unless the vines are very strong the
flower clusters should be removed; and a three-year-old vine should
never be allowed to bear heavily. It must be remembered, however, that
both these horizontal canes, with all their mass of herbage, are to be
cut away in the fall or winter of the third year. Some provision must
have been made, therefore, for the top for the fourth year. It will be
recalled that in discussing the renewal pruning (page 16, fig. 5), it
was found that two or more shoots are allowed to grow each year to form
the basis of the top the following year. In fig. 12 three or four such
shoots can be seen springing from the Y-shaped portion in the center of
the vine. These shoots or canes are to be bent down to the lowest wire
next spring, and the bearing shoots will arise from them. This process
will be seen at a glance from figs. 13, 14 and 15. The first shows a
full grown old vine, trained on three wires. Fig. 14 shows the same vine
when pruned. Two long canes, with six or eight buds each, are left to
form the top of the following year. The two stubs from which the renewal
canes are to grow for the second year's top are seen in the center. In
the fall of the next year, therefore, these two outside canes will be
cut away to the base of these renewal stubs; and the renewal canes, in
the meantime, will have made a year's growth. These renewal stubs in
this picture are really spurs, as will be seen; that is, they contain
two ages of wood. It is the purpose, however, to remove these stubs or
spurs every two or three years at most, and to bring new canes
directly from the old wood or head. If possible, the renewal cane is
brought from a new place on the old wood every year in order to avoid a
spur. Such was the case in the vine shown in fig. 5, page 19. Fig. 15
shows the same vine tied down to the lowest wire. Two ties have been
made upon each cane. Fig. 16 shows a vine in which four canes have been
left to form the top for the following year. The stubs for the renewals
can be seen in the Y. It is customary to leave more than two canes,
occasionally, in strong-growing varieties like Concord. Sometimes four
and occasionally six are left. If four canes are left, two may be tied
together in each direction upon the bottom wire. If six are used, the
two extra ones should be tied along the second wire, parallel with the
lowest ones. These extra canes are sometimes tied obliquely across the
trellis, but this practice should be discouraged, for the usual tendency
of the vine is to make its greatest growth at the top, and the lower
buds may fail to bear.
[Illustration: 14. HIGH RENEWAL, PRUNED.]
[Illustration: 15. HIGH RENEWAL, PRUNED AND TIED.]
The ideal length of the two canes varies with different varieties and
the distance apart at which the vines are set. Very strong kinds, like
Concord and Niagara, can carry ten or twelve buds on each cane,
especially if the vines are set more than eight feet apart. Fig. 17
shows half of a Concord vine in which about ten buds were left on each
cane. These strong sorts can often carry forty or fifty buds to the vine
to advantage, but when this number is left the canes should be four, as
explained in the last paragraph. In Delaware and other weak-growing
varieties, twenty or twenty-five buds to the vine should be the maximum
and only two canes should be left. In short-jointed varieties, the canes
are usually cut to the desired length--four to six feet--even if too
great a number of buds is left, but the shoots which spring from these
extra buds are broken out soon after they start. A Delaware vine which
has made an unusually short or weak growth will require fewer buds to be
left for next year's top than a neighboring vine of the same variety
which has made a strong growth. The Catawba, which is a short but very
stiff grower, is usually cut back to six or eight buds, as seen in figs.
13, 14 and 15. The grower soon learns to adjust the pruning to the
character of the vine without effort. He has in his mind a certain ideal
crop of grapes, perhaps about so many bunches, and he leaves enough buds
to produce this amount, allowing, perhaps, ten per cent. of the buds for
accidents and barren shoots. He knows, too, that the canes should always
be cut back to firm, well-ripened wood. It should be said that mere
size of cane does not indicate its value as a fruit-bearing branch.
Hard, smooth wood of medium size usually gives better results than the
very large and softer canes which are sometimes produced on soils rich
in nitrogenous manures. This large and overgrown wood is known as a
"bull cane." A cane does not attain its full growth the first year, but
will increase in diameter during the second season. The tying therefore,
should be sufficiently loose or elastic to allow of growth, although it
should be firm enough to hold the cane constantly in place. The cane
should not be hung from the wire, but tied close to it, provision being
made for the swelling of the wood to twice its diameter.
[Illustration: 16. HIGH RENEWAL WITH FOUR CANES.]
[Illustration: 17. HIGH RENEWAL COMPLETE.--CONCORD.]
The shoots are tied to the second wire soon after they pass it, or have
attained firmness enough to allow of tying, and the same shoots are tied
again to the top wire. All the shoots do not grow with equal rapidity,
and the vineyard must be gone over more than twice if the shoots are
kept properly tied. Perhaps four times over the vineyard will be all
that is necessary for careful summer tying. Many vineyardists tie only
once or twice, but this neglect should be discouraged. This tying is
mostly done with green rye straw or raffia. A piece of straw about ten
inches long is used for each tie, it usually being wrapped but once
about the shoot. The knot is made with a twist and tuck. If raffia is
used, a common string-knot is made. When the shoots reach the top of
the trellis, they are usually allowed to take care of themselves. The
Catawba shoots stand nearly erect above the top wire and ordinarily need
no attention. The long-growing varieties will be likely to drag the
shoots upon the ground before the close of the season. If these tips
interfere with the cultivation, they may be clipped off with a sickle or
corn-cutter, although this practice should be delayed as long as
possible to prevent the growth of laterals (see page 21). It is probably
better to avoid cutting entirely. Some growers wind or tie the longest
shoots upon the top wire, as seen in fig. 17. It is probably best, as a
rule, to allow the shoots to hang over naturally, and to clip them only
when they seriously interfere with the work of the hoe and cultivator.
The treatment for slat trellises, as shown in fig. 18, is the same as on
wire trellises, except that longer strings must be used in tying.
[Illustration: 18. A SLAT TRELLIS, WITH UPRIGHT TRAINING.]
It is apparent that nearly or quite all the fruit in the High Renewal is
borne between the first and second wires, at the bottom of the trellis.
If the lower wire is twenty-four or thirty inches high, this fruit will
hang at the most convenient height for picking. The fruit trays are set
upon the ground, and both hands are free. The fruit is also protected
from the hot suns and from frost; and if the shoots are properly tied,
the clusters are not shaken roughly by the wind. It is, of course,
desirable that all the clusters should be fully exposed to light and
air, and all superfluous shoots should, therefore, be pulled off, as
already explained (page 21). In rare cases it may also be necessary, for
this purpose, to prune the canes which droop over from the top of the
trellis.
After a few years, the old top or head of the vine becomes more or less
weak and it should be renewed from the root. The thrifty vineyardist
anticipates this circumstance, and now and then allows a thrifty shoot
which may spring from the ground to remain. This shoot is treated very
much like a young vine, and the head is formed during the second year
(page 16, bottom). If it should make a strong growth during the first
year and develop stout laterals, it may be cut back only to the lowest
wire the first fall; but in other cases, it should be cut back to two or
three buds, from one of which a strong and permanent shoot is taken the
second year. When this new top comes into bearing, the old trunk is cut
off at the surface of the ground, or below if possible. A top will
retain its vigor for six or eight years under ordinary treatment, and
sometimes much longer. These tops are renewed from time to time as
occasion permits or demands, and any vineyard which has been bearing a
number of years will nearly always have a few vines in process of
renewal. The reader should not receive the impression, however, that the
life or vitality of a vine is necessarily limited. Vines often continue
to bear for twenty years or more without renewal; but the head after a
time comes to be large and rough and crooked, and often weakened by
scars, and better results are likely to be obtained if a new, clean vine
takes its place.
The High Renewal is extensively used in the lake region of Western New
York, for all varieties. It is particularly well adapted to Delaware,
Catawba, and other weak or short varieties. When systematically pursued,
it gives fruit of the highest excellence. This High Renewal training,
like all the low upright systems, allows the vines to be laid down
easily in winter, which is an important consideration in many parts of
Canada and in the colder northern states.
_Fan Training._--A system much used a few years ago and still sometimes
seen, is one which renews back nearly to the ground each year, and
carries the fruiting canes up in a fan-shaped manner. This system has
the advantages of dispensing with much of the old wood, or trunk, and
facilitating laying down the vine in winter in cold climates. On the
other hand, it has the disadvantages of bearing the fruit too
low--unless the lower clusters are removed--and making a vine of
inconvenient shape for tying. It is little used at present. Fig. 19
shows a vine pruned for fan-training, although it is by no means an
ideal vine. This vine has not been properly renewed, but bears long,
crooked spurs, from which the canes spring. One of these spurs will be
seen to extend beyond the lower wire. The spurs should be kept very
short, and they should be entirely removed every two or three years, as
explained in the above discussion of the High Renewal training.
The shoots are allowed to take their natural course, being tied to any
wire near which they chance to grow, finally lopping over the top wire.
Sometimes the canes are bent down and tied horizontally to the wires,
and this is probably the better practice. Two canes may be tied in each
direction on the lower wire, or the two inner canes may be tied down to
the second wire. In either case, the vine is essentially like the High
Renewal, except that the trunk is shorter.
[Illustration: 19. FAN TRAINING, AFTER PRUNING.]