THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 109 



water is bad or contains manure. Manure water always kills cuttings 

 readily. If the cuttings have sprouted, or begun to make roots, or form 

 callus, a careful vineyardist will take his bundles to the field submerged 

 in a barrel or bucket of water, or at least wrapped in wet sacks or blank- 

 ets. If again the cuttings are dry and a fresh cut does not show a flow 

 of sap, they may be freshened by soaking in fresh water over night. 

 Bven very poor and dry cuttings are easily revived this way, but a 

 continuous immersion for several days will injure the cuttings and 

 cause them to rot. It is also of importance that the water should be 

 clear and cold, or at least not warm. Instead of immersing the 

 cuttings in water, they may be set down in cool and moist soil for three 

 or four days before being planted. The soaking in water is the sim- 

 plest, quickest and most effective for slightly dried cuttings. 



Planting Cuttings. Planting cuttings in the vineyard can be done 

 in several different ways. They may be planted with a spade, with a 

 flat planting bar, or with the " sheep 's-foot." Each one of these tools 

 will answer the purpose if properly used, but their selection must 

 depend upon the quality of the soil, and upon the nature of the land 

 generally. In all planting of cuttings, the following points must be 

 observed as of importance in insuring success. The cuttings must 

 be set in moist and cool soil. The lower end of the cuttings must 

 lodge in solid ground, and there must be no air space at the bottom. 

 Only one eye should be left above the surface of the soil. The soil 

 must be tamped well around the cutting from the bottom to the top. 

 All inferior cuttings should be thrown away, and every cutting should 

 be examined before it is planted. 



For a description of the tools used in planting, I beg to refer to the 

 end of this chapter. I will now further consider the above points. 

 Many failures are made by not planting in moist soil. If irrigation 

 is needed, irrigate before planting, then plow and harrow, and then 

 plant. When moist cuttings are planted in dry and warm soil, the 

 latter will extract all the moisture from the cuttings, and the latter 

 will fail to grow. I have seen parties first plow deep furrows through 

 the vineyard, so as to air and dry "the ground before planting the cut- 

 tings. This is not necessary and even harmful. Moist and warm 

 ground is essential to the starting and growth of cuttings. The 

 lower end of the cutting should be lodged in solid ground, or the 

 cutting will fail to grow. This point is of the utmost importance, 

 and should be carefully observed. If, when the cutting is pushed down 

 in the soil, a small air chamber form at the lower end, the butt 

 end of the cutting will mold, and the latter will be poisoned and die. 

 Nine-tenths of all the failures in planting are caused by neglect in 

 this respect. Care is especially needed when the sheep' s-foot is used. 

 Only one eye should be left above ground, which is enough for all 

 purposes. Any more eyes will exhaust the cutting before it is rooted, 

 and the additional length of the cutting will expose it to the danger 

 of being broken or otherwise injured. The soil must be tamped hard 

 all along the cutting so as to cause the latter to attract the necessary 

 moisture. I/x>sely set cuttings very often fail, especially in dry 

 seasons. All inferior cuttings, especially those frosted or otherwise 



