Sew York Agriclltural Experi.mkxt Station. 501 



that grafting should be a kindergarten operation in vine-growing 

 and that all who work with grapes should know how to graft them. 

 Yet grafted vines cannot be found in many grape regions of 

 eastern America and grape-grafting is nowhere common. The lack 

 of knowledge on the subject warrants a rather full description of 

 the methods used in this experiment — a description all the more 

 necessary because of many failures in grafting. 



The original plan was to graft only on growing stocks but the 

 loss of a large proportion of the grafted plants the first few years 

 made it necessary to resort to bench-grafting as well. We have, 

 therefore, two methods to describe. 



Grafting on growing stocks. — The grape stocks were set in the 

 vineyard one year before grafting. The stocks came to the Station 

 as shown in Plate LXIV and were severely cut back, root and 

 Ijranch. They were planted and subsequently cared for as un- 

 grafted grape vines are ordinarily grown. The young plants did 

 not make a satisfactory start nor did they grow well during the 

 summer and this unsatisfactory first season was undoubtedly the 

 cause of many failures of vines subsequently. 



The cions, each containing two eyes, were cut in the fall and 

 buried in sand over winter. So far as appears from the records, 

 there was no selection of cions from fertile canes or vines nor 

 would such be the practice if the work were to be done now. At 

 the present time in grafting, precautions are taken to procure 

 cions from healthy, mature plants ; and it is presumed that in this 

 experiment they were thus selected. Cions from young, w^eakened, 

 or diseased vines are not well lignified and do not form calluses 

 readily, probably because of a deficiency in reserve food materials. 

 The cions were six to eight inches long, the length depending upon 

 that of the internodes. The average diameter was about one-third 

 of an inch though this varied somewhat in accordance with the 

 variety. 



The first grafting was done in May, 1903. The question may 

 well arise here as to whether this was the best time for field graft- 

 ing. Subsequent experience leads to the conclusion, one also 



