LAYERING THE GRAPE. 



AYERING is the simplest, 

 surest and easiest method of 



— ^ increasing the grape, and is the 

 best way to grow them where 

 but few vines are wanted. There are 

 two kinds of layers, called spring and 

 summer layers, from the season at which 

 they are made. 



Summer layers are made in the sum- 

 mer, generally the last of July, from a 

 branch of the same season's growth. 

 They are likely to be weak for several 

 years, and do not make as good plants 

 as the spring layers. In making them, 

 the wood should be slit for an inch or 

 so near the buds that are covered. 

 Bury about one foot of the cane four 

 inches deep in the ground and it will be 

 rooted by late autumn, when it should 

 be separated and be treated as a young 

 vine ; and it is generally best to get 

 them well started in a garden or nursery 

 before planting in the vineyard perma- 

 nently. 



Spring layers may be made by laying 

 down any cane early in the spring. It 

 will root in one season. By fall it will 

 have made a good growth of roots, when 

 it may be cut from the main cane, and 

 if strong it may be divided into two 

 plants. This form of layer is illustrated 



Fig. 1613.— a Rooted Fie. 1614.— Thr Rooted 

 "Layer. Layer .Separated, 



Making Two 

 Plants. 



in Fig. 161 3 and 16 14. By a little 

 different treatment of the spring layer a 



vine may be grown from each bud on 

 the layered cane. For this purpose 

 some thrifty cane should be selected in 

 autumn, pruned of its laterals, and 

 buried. In the apring it should be un- 

 covered and only one shoot permitted 

 to grow from each joint. After the new 

 growth has started about six inches from 

 each bud the whole cane should be lay- 

 ered about four inches deep, handling it 

 carefully so as not to break the new 

 growth. 



Fig. 16 1 5 shows such a layer after it 

 has rooted. It is a good plan to cover 

 it not more than three inches at first, 

 and to fill up the trench as the shoots 

 grow. If covered four inches deep at 

 once the young growth will sometimes 

 rot, though this seldom happens, and 

 some skilful growers fill the trench full 

 at once. In the autumn, roots will be 

 found growing from each joint, and these 



Fig. 1615.--A Rooted layer. Each Bud Mak- 

 ing A New Plant. 



may be cut apart and treated as recom- 

 mended for weak vines grown from cut- 

 tings. If this method of propagation is 

 to be used to some considerable extent 

 vines should be grown especially for the 

 purpose. It is not a good plan to use 

 fruiting vines for layering to any great 

 extent, though it may be safely done in 

 a small way. — S. B. Green. 



257 



