GRAFTING. 



As has been stated above, every variety and every hybrid has 

 its own peculiar growth habit or peculiar combination of root and 

 top growth habits. The lines of demarkation in this respect in 

 regard to varieties belonging to different species or in regard to 

 different hybrids are generally distinctly drawn, but in regard to 

 varieties belonging to the 'same species are sometimes extremely 

 fine and can not be observed by the casual observer, but never- 

 theless are of the greatest importance. This sometimes becomes 

 exceedingly pronounced in grafted vines, from which we may 

 easily get an idea as to what it means in regard to adaptation and 

 hardiness by giving a vine a different root or a root a different 

 top. Grafting in itself should not make any difference, but it 

 makes a difference because we get a different combination of root 

 and top. By substituting a different root, the vine obtained has 

 therefore neither the adaptation of the root with its own top, nor 

 of the top with its own root, but an entirely new adaptation. 



While roots can be selected which better a vine's adaptation 

 to a particular soil or climate, we have a good many 

 . examples in which the reverse is the case. In some 

 instances Viniferas grafted on other Viniferas have become 

 hardier against the Anaheim disease, in others they have suc- 

 cumbed more quickly. In grafting a variety on a variety of the 

 same species the difficulty is generally not so great. The effect 

 is much greater, either to the better or to the worse, if a variety 

 belonging to one species is grafted on a variety belonging 

 to another species. In grafting a Vinifera on a more 

 sluggish grower in California there is more or less loss of vigor and 

 productiveness. By doing the opposite, provided the new vine has 

 a fairly good adaptation to soil and climate and there is also a 

 good affinity and proper congeniality in regard to habit of growth, 

 greater vigor and productiveness is the result. But considering 

 that Viniferas have a good adaptation for California in regard to 

 size and vigor, either by forcing their growth in giving the vine 

 a more free-growing root (Riparia or Rupestris) or by retarding 

 their growth with a more sluggish root (Lenoir and Champirii), 

 the result can not be always satisfactory. As has been explained, 

 the grow*th habit of a vine is a most important factor. If it is 

 too free, the vine will exhaust its vitality, before the end of the 

 summer is reached and suffer a check in its energy; if it is too 

 sluggish, it can not avail itself of the favorable moisture conditions 



