THE DROOPING SYSTEMS.
In 1845 William T. Cornell planted a vineyard in the Hudson River
Valley. A neighbor, William Kniffin, was a stone mason with a few acres
of land to which he devoted his attention during the leisure seasons of
his trade. Cornell induced Kniffin to plant a few grapes. He planted the
Isabella, and succeeding beyond his expectations, the plantation was
increased into a respectable vineyard and Kniffin came to be regarded as
a local authority upon grape culture. Those were the pioneer days in
commercial grape growing in North America, and there were no undisputed
maxims of cultivation and training. If any system of close training and
pruning was employed, it was probably the old horizontal arm spur
system, or something like it. One day a large limb broke from an
apple-tree and fell upon a grape-vine, tearing off some of the canes and
crushing the vine into a singular shape. The vine was thought to be
ruined, but it was left until the fruit could be gathered. But as the
fruit matured, its large size and handsome appearance attracted
attention. It was the best fruit in the vineyard! Mr. Kniffin was an
observant man, and he inquired into the cause of the excellent fruit.
He noticed that the vine had been pruned and that the best canes stood
out horizontally. From this suggestion he developed the four-cane system
of training which now bears his name. A year or two later, in 1854, the
system had attracted the attention of those of his neighbors who
cultivated grapes, and thereafter it spread throughout the Hudson
valley, where it is to-day, with various modifications, the chief method
of grape training. Its merits have become known beyond its original
valley, and it is now spreading more rapidly than any other system. The
ground upon which the old Isabellas grew is now occupied by Concords,
which are as vigorous and productive as those grown upon newer soils.
William Kniffin died at his home in Clintondale, Ulster county, New
York, June 13, 1876, at fifty-seven years of age. The portrait is from a
photograph which was taken two or three years before his death.
[Illustration: 20. WILLIAM KNIFFIN.]
_The True or Four-Cane Kniffin System._--Figure 21 shows the true
Kniffin system, very nearly as practiced by its originator. A single
stem or trunk is carried directly to the top wire, and two canes are
taken out from side spurs at each wire. Mr. Kniffin believed in short
canes, and cut them back to about six buds on both wires. But most
growers now prefer to leave the upper canes longer than the lower ones,
as seen in illustration. The bearing shoots are allowed to hang at will,
so that no summer tying is necessary; this is the distinguishing mark of
the various Kniffin systems. The main trunk is tied to each wire, and
the canes are tied to the wires in spring. This system possesses the
great advantage, therefore, of requiring little labor during the busy
days of the growing season; and the vines are easily cultivated, and if
the rows are nine or ten feet apart, currants or other bush-fruits can
be grown between. The system is especially adapted to the strong
varieties of grapes. For further comparisons of the merits of different
systems of training, the reader should consult Chapter II.
[Illustration: 21. THE TRUE KNIFFIN TRAINING.]
[Illustration: 22. NO. 21 WHEN PRUNED.]
The pruning of the Kniffin vine consists in cutting off all the wood
save a single cane from each spur. Fig. 22 illustrates the process. This
is the same vine which is shown with the full amount of wood on in fig.
21. The drooping shoots shown in that illustration bore the grapes of
1892; and now, in the winter of 1892-93, they are all to be cut away,
with the horizontal old canes from which they grew, save only the four
canes which hang nearest the main trunk. Fig. 22 shows the vine after it
had been pruned. It is not obligatory that the canes which are left
after the pruning should be those nearest the trunk, for it may happen
that these may be weak; but, other things being equal, these canes are
preferable because their selection keeps the old spurs short. The
careful grower will take pains to remove the weak shoots which start
from this point, in order that a strong cane may be obtained. It is
desirable that these side spurs be removed entirely every three or four
years, a new cane being brought out again from the main body or trunk.
There is little expectation, however, that there shall be such a
complete renewal pruning as that practiced in the High Renewal, which we
discussed in the last chapter.
It will be seen that the drooping canes in fig. 22 are shorter than they
were originally, as shown in fig. 21. They have been cut back. The
length at which these canes shall be left is a moot point. Much depends
upon the variety, the distance between the wires, the strength of the
soil, and other factors. Nearly all growers now agree that the upper
canes should be longer than the lower ones, although equal canes are
still used in some places. In strong varieties, like Worden, each of the
upper canes may bear ten buds and each of the lower ones five. This
gives thirty buds to the vine. Some growers prefer to leave twelve buds
above and only four below.
These four pruned canes are generally allowed to hang during winter, but
are tied onto the wires before the buds swell in spring. They are
stretched out horizontally and secured to the wire by one or two ties
upon each cane. The shoots which spring from these horizontal canes
stand upright or oblique at first but they soon fall over with the
weight of foliage and fruit. If they touch the ground, the ends may be
clipped off with a sickle, corn-cutter or scythe, although this is not
always done, and is not necessary unless the canes interfere with
cultivation. There is no summer-pinching nor pruning, although the
superfluous shoots should be broken out, as in other systems. (See page
23).
Only two wires are used in the true Kniffin trellis. The end posts are
usually set in holes, rather than driven, to render them solid, and they
should always be well braced. The intermediate posts are driven, and
they usually stand between every alternate vine, or twenty feet apart if
the vines are ten feet apart--which is a common distance for the most
vigorous varieties. For the strong-growing varieties, the top wire is
placed from five and one-half to six feet above the ground. Five feet
nine inches is a popular height. The posts will heave sufficiently to
bring the height to six feet, although it is best to "tap" the posts
every spring with a maul in order to drive them back and make them firm.
The lower wire is usually placed at three and one-half feet. Delawares,
if trained Kniffin, should not stand above five feet four inches, or at
most five feet six inches. Strong vines on good soil are often put onto
the trellis the second year, although it is a commoner practice,
perhaps, to stake them the second season, as already explained (page
27), and put them on the wires the third season. The year following the
tying to the trellis, the vine should bear a partial crop. The vine is
usually carried directly to the top wire the first season of training,
although it is the practice of some growers, especially outside the
Hudson valley, to stop the trunk at the lower wire the first year of
permanent training, and to carry it to the top wire the following year.
Yields from good Kniffin vines will average fully as high and perhaps
higher than from other species of training. W. D. Barns, of Orange
county, New York, has had an annual average of twenty-six pounds of
Concords to the vine for nine years, 1,550 vines being considered in the
calculation. While the Delaware is not so well suited to the Kniffin
system as stronger varieties, it can nevertheless be trained in this
manner with success, as the following average yields obtained by Mr.
Barns from 200 vines set in 1881 will show:
1886 8-1/2 pounds to the vine.
1887 11-3/4 " " " "
1888 8 " " " "
1889 9-1/2 " " " "
1890 7 " " " "
1891 16 " " " "
1892 13 " " " "
_Modifications of the Four-Cane Kniffin._--Various modifications of this
original four-cane Kniffin are in use. The Kniffin idea is often
carelessly applied to a rack trellis. In such cases, several canes were
allowed to grow where only two should have been left. Fig. 23 is a
common but poor style of Kniffin used in some of the large new
vineyards of western New York. It differs from the type in the training
of the young wood. These shoots, instead of being allowed to hang at
will, are carried out horizontally and either tied to the wire or
twisted around it. The advantage urged for this modification is the
little injury done by wind, but, as a matter of practice, it affords
less protection than the true drooping Kniffin, for in the latter the
shoots from the upper cane soon cling to the lower wire, and the shoots
from both tiers of canes protect each other below the lower wire. There
are three serious disadvantages to this holding up of the shoots,--it
makes unnecessary labor, the canes are likely to make wood or "bull
canes" (see page 50) at the expense of fruit, and the fruit is bunched
together on the vines.
[Illustration: 23. A POOR TYPE OF KNIFFIN.]
Another common modification of the four-cane Kniffin is that shown in
fig. 24, in which a crotch or Y is made in the trunk. This crotch is
used in the belief that the necessary sap supply is thereby more readily
deflected into the lower arms than by the system of side spurring on a
straight or continuous trunk. This is probably a fallacy, and may have
arisen from the attempt to grow as heavy canes on the lower wire as on
the upper one. Nevertheless, this modification is in common use in
western New York and elsewhere.
[Illustration: 24. THE Y-TRUNK KNIFFIN.]
If it is desired to leave an equal number of buds on both wires, the
Double Kniffin will probably be found most satisfactory. Two distinct
trunks are brought from the root, each supplying a single wire only. The
trunks are tied together to hold them in place. This system, under the
name of Improved Kniffin, is just coming into notice in restricted
portions of the Hudson valley.
_The Two-Cane Kniffin, or Umbrella System._--Inasmuch as the greater
part of the fruit in the Four-Cane Kniffin is born upon the upper wire,
the question arises if it would not be better to dispense with the
lower canes and cut the upper ones longer. This is now done to a
considerable extent, especially in the Hudson valley. Fig. 25 explains
the operation. This shows a pruned vine. The trunk is tied to the lower
wire to steady it, and two canes, each bearing from nine to fifteen
buds, are left upon the upper wire. These canes are tied to the upper
wire and they are then bent down, hoop-like, to the lower wire, where
the ends are tied. In some instances, the lower wire is dispensed with,
but this is not advisable. This wire holds the vine in place against the
winds and prevents the too violent whipping of the hanging shoots.
During the growing season, renewal canes are taken from the spurs in
exactly the same manner as in the ordinary Kniffin. This species of
training reduces the amount of leaf-surface to a minimum, and every
precaution must be taken to insure a healthy leaf-growth. This system
of training will probably not allow of the successful girdling of the
vine for the purpose of hastening the maturity and augmenting the size
of the fruit. Yet heavy crops can be obtained from it, if liberal
fertilizing and good cultivation are employed, and the fruit is nearly
always first-class. A Concord vine trained in this manner produced in
1892 eighty clusters of first quality grapes, weighing forty pounds.
[Illustration: 25. UMBRELLA TRAINING.]
Another type of Umbrella training is shown in fig. 26, before pruning.
Here five main canes were allowed to grow, instead of two. Except in
very strong vines, this top is too heavy, and it is probably never so
good as the other (fig. 25), if the highest results are desired; but for
the grower who does not care to insure high cultivation it is probably a
safer system than the other.
[Illustration: 26. A POOR UMBRELLA SYSTEM.]
_The Low, or One-Wire Kniffin._--A modification of this Umbrella system
is sometimes used, in which the trellis is only three or four feet high
and comprises but a single wire. A cane of ten or a dozen buds is tied
out in each direction, and the shoots are allowed to hang in essentially
the same manner as in the True or High Kniffin system. The advantages
urged for this system are the protection of the grapes from wind, the
large size of the fruit due to the small amount of bearing wood, the
ease of laying down the vines, the readiness with which the top can be
renewed from the root as occasion demands, and the cheapness of the
trellis.
_The Six-Cane Kniffin._--There are many old vineyards in eastern New
York which are trained upon a six-cane or three-wire system. The general
pruning and management of these vines do not differ from that of the
common Kniffin. Very strong varieties which can carry an abundance of
wood, may be profitable upon this style of training, but it cannot be
recommended. A Concord vineyard over thirty years old, comprising 295
vines, trained in this fashion, is still thrifty and productive. Twice
it has produced crops of six tons.
[Illustration: 27. EIGHT-CANE KNIFFIN. (Diagram.)]
_Eight-Cane Kniffin._--Eight and even ten canes are sometimes left upon
a single trunk, and are trained out horizontally or somewhat obliquely,
as shown in the accompanying diagram (fig. 27). Unless these canes are
cut back to four or five buds each, the vine carries too much wood and
fruit. This system allows of close planting, but the trellis is too
expensive. The trunk soon becomes overgrown with spurs, and it is likely
to become prematurely weak. This style is very rarely used.
[Illustration: 28. OVERHEAD KNIFFIN.]
[Illustration: 29. OVERHEAD KNIFFIN.]
_Overhead, or Arbor Kniffin._--A curious modification of the Kniffin is
employed somewhat on the Hudson, particularly by Sands Haviland at
Marlboro'. The vines are carried up on a kind of overhead arbor, as
shown in figs. 28, 29 and 30. The trellis is six feet above the ground,
and is composed of three horizontal wires lying in the same plane. The
central wire runs from post to post, and one upon either side is
attached to the end of a three-foot cross-bar, as represented in fig.
28. The rows are nine feet apart, and the vines and posts twelve feet
apart in the row. Contiguous rows are braced by a connecting-pole, as in
fig. 29. The trunk of the vine ends in a T-shaped head, which is well
displayed in the vine at the extreme right in the foreground in fig. 30.
From this T-head, five canes are carried out from spurs. It was formerly
the practice to carry out six canes, one in each direction upon each
wire, but this was found to supply too much wood. Now two canes are
carried in one direction and three in the other; and the positions of
these sets are alternated each year, if possible. The canes which are
left after the winter pruning are tied along the wires in spring, as in
the Kniffin, and the shoots hang over the wires. The chief advantage of
this training is that it allows of the growing of bush-fruits between
the rows, as seen in fig. 29. It is also said that the clusters hang so
free that the bloom is not injured by the twigs or leaves, and the fruit
is protected from sun and frost. Every post must be large and firmly
set, however, adding much to the cost of the trellis. Several styles
similar to this are in use, one of the best being the Crittenden system,
of Michigan. In this system, the trellis is low, not exceeding four or
five feet, and the vines cover a flat-topped platform two or three feet
wide.
[Illustration: 30. OVERHEAD KNIFFIN, BEFORE PRUNING.]
_The Cross-Wire System._--Another high Kniffin training, and which is
also confined to the vicinity of Marlboro', New York, is the Cross-Wire,
represented in figs. 31 and 32. Small posts are set eight feet apart
each way, and a single wire runs from the top of post to post--six and
one-half feet from the ground--in each direction, forming a check-row
system of overhead wires. The grape-vine is set at the foot of the
stake, to which the trunk is tied for support. Four canes are taken from
spurs on the head of the trunk, one for each of the radiating wires.
These canes are cut to three and one-half or four feet in length, and
the bearing shoots droop as they grow. Fig. 31 shows this training as it
appears some time after the leaves start in spring. Later in the season
the whole vineyard becomes a great arbor, and a person standing at a
distance sees an almost impenetrable mass of herbage, as in fig. 32.
This system appears to have little merit, and will always remain local
in application. It possesses the advantage of economy in construction of
the trellis, for very slender posts are used, even at the ends of the
rows. The end posts are either braced by a pole or anchored by a wire
taken from the top and secured to a stake or stone eight or ten feet
beyond, outside the vineyard.
[Illustration: 31. CROSS-WIRE TRAINING.]
[Illustration: 32. CROSS-WIRE TRAINING. OUTSIDE VIEW.]
_Renewal Kniffin._--It is an easy matter to adapt the Kniffin principle
of free hanging shoots to a true renewal method of pruning. There are a
few modifications in use in which the wood is annually renewed to near
the ground. The trellises comprise either two or three wires, and are
made in the same manner as for the upright systems, as the High Renewal.
At the annual pruning only one cane is left. This comprises twelve or
fifteen buds, and is tied up diagonally across the trellis, the point or
end of the cane usually being bent downward somewhat, in order to check
the strong growth from the uppermost parts. The shoots hang from this
cane, and they may be pinched back when they reach the ground. In the
meantime a strong shoot is taken out from the opposite side of the
head--which usually stands a foot or less from the ground--to make the
bearing wood of the next year; and this new cane will be tied in an
opposite direction on the trellis from the present bearing cane, and the
next renewal shoot will be taken from the other side of the head, or the
side from which the present bearing wood sprung; so that the bearing top
of the vine is alternated in either direction upon the trellis. This
system, and similar ones, allow of laying down the vines easily in
winter, and insure excellent fruit because the amount of bearing wood
is small; but the crop is not large enough to satisfy most demands.
_The Munson System._--An unique system of training, upon the Kniffin
principle, has been devised by T. V. Munson, of Denison, Texas, a
well-known authority upon grapes. Two posts are set in the same hole,
their tops diverging. A wire is stretched along the top of these posts
and a third one is hung between them on cross-wires. The trunk of the
vine, or its head, is secured to this middle lower wire and the shoots
lop over the side wires. The growth, therefore, makes a V-shaped or
trough-like mass of herbage. Fig. 33 is an end view of this trellis,
showing the short wire connecting the posts and which also holds the
middle trellis-wire at the point of the V. Fig. 34 is a side view of the
trellis. The bearing canes, two or four, in number, which are left after
the annual pruning, are tied along this middle wire. The main trunk
forks just under the middle wire, as seen at the left in fig. 34. A head
is formed at this place not unlike like that which characterizes the
High Renewal, for this system also employs renewal pruning. The trellis
stands six feet high. The shoots stand upright at first, but soon fall
down and are supported by the side wires. The following account of this
system of training is written for this occasion by Mr. Munson:
"After the vines have flowered, the bearing laterals have their tips
pinched off, and that is all the summer pruning the vine gets, except to
rub off all eyes that start on the body below the crotch. Two to four
shoots, according to strength of vine, are started from the forks or
crotch and allowed to bear no fruit, but are trained along over the
lower central wire for renewal canes. When pruning time arrives, the
entire bearing cane of the present year, with all its laterals, is cut
away at a point near where the young renewal shoots have started, and
these shoots are shortened back, according to strength of vine; some,
such as Herbemont, being able at four years to fill four shoots six or
eight feet long with fine fruit, while Delaware could not well carry
over three or four feet each way of one shoot only. The different
varieties are set at various distances apart, according as they are
strong or weak growers.
[Illustration: 33. MUNSON TRAINING. END VIEW.]
"Thus the trellis and system of pruning are reduced to the simplest
form. A few cuts to each vine cover all the pruning, and a few ties
complete the task. A novice can soon learn to do the work well. The
trunk or main stem is secured to the middle lower wire, along which all
bearing canes are tied after pruning, and from which the young laterals
which produce the crop are to spring. These laterals strike the two
outer wires, soon clinging to them with their tendrils, and are safe
from destruction, while the fruit is thrown in the best possible
position for spraying and gathering, and is still shaded with the canopy
of leaves. I have now used this trellis five years upon ten acres of
mixed vines, and I am more pleased with it every year.
[Illustration: 34. MUNSON TRAINING. SIDE VIEW.]
"The following advantages are secured by this system:
"1. The natural habit of the vine is maintained, which is a canopy to
shade the roots and body of vine and the fruit, without smothering.
"2. New wood, formed by sap which has never passed through bearing wood,
is secured for the next crop--a very important matter.
"3. Simplicity and convenience of trellis, allowing free passage in any
direction through the vineyard; circulation of air without danger of
breaking tender shoots; ease of pruning, spraying, cultivation,
harvesting.
"4. Perfect control in pruning of amount of crop to suit capacity of
vine.
"5. Long canes for bearing, which agrees exactly with the nature of
nearly all our American species far better than short spurs.
"6. Ease of laying down in winter. The vine being pruned and not tied,
standing away from posts, can be bent down to one side between the rows,
and earth thrown upon it, and can be quickly raised and tied in
position.
"7. Cheapness of construction and ease of removing trellis material and
using it again.
"8. Durability of both trellis and vineyard."
[Illustration: (Drawing of grapes)]