PROPAGATION OP THE GRAPE VINE I BY EYES, ETC. 



slanting cut; we rather prefer the latter, but it matters 



very little. Some consider it of great importance 



to cut a small piece off the wood on the side opposite 



to the eye, but we have not observed any benefit 



from so doing. The callus is produced below the 



bud, and generally first on the upper side, i.e., the 



same side as the bud ; it is seldom formed directly 



opposite to the eye, except when cut very closely, 



and never beyond or above the eye. The fact is, 



the roots are produced independently of the eye, 



from any portion of the stem having an eye or bud . "I, E 



above it, but more freely near to where the cut is 



made. All that is left above the bud is inert and dies away. There 



is no advantage, therefore, in leaving any length of wood beyond the 



bud. 



The season for " putting in " the eyes is any time during January 

 or February. The earlier the operation is performed, the earlier, of 

 course, can the young Vines be finished off. Some prefer cutting the 

 eyes in December, and placing them in soil in pans in a cold frame 

 until about February, before they are put into heat ; others cut them 

 and place them in heat at once, and that is the plan which we prefer. 

 The beginning of February may, therefore, be taken as a good and 

 safe mid-season for performing the operation. A few days earlier 

 or later are, however, quite immaterial, much more being dependent 

 on the after-management of the plants. 



There are many ways of " putting in" the eyes. They may be placed 

 in shallow pans, i.e., a number of eyes in each pan, in properly prepared 

 soil, to be potted off after they have made some roots and have 

 commenced growing ; or they may be and this is, perhaps, the best 

 plan of all placed singly in small three-inch pots, which should 

 first have some charcoal or broken crocks put at the bottom, and 

 be filled up with a compost of one-half fresh turfy loam, and one- 

 half leaf-mould, not too much decayed, with a good proportion of 

 sand. When the pot is filled, the soil not being pressed down over 

 firmly, make a hole in the soil sufficiently large to hold a walnut, 

 which should be filled with silver-sand; place the eye on this, 

 pressing it down until the top of the bud is just level with the 

 surface of the soil. The pots or pans containing the eyes should 

 then be plunged in a bed having a bottom heat of about 80, and a 

 top temperature of from 65 to 70. 



Another good method, where a number of eyes have to be 

 propagated, and where there is convenience for adopting it, is to 

 prepare a small portion of the bed itself with suitable soil, and to 

 place the eyes there at once, removing them and potting them off as 

 they become fit. This is an economisation of space in the propagating 

 pit, which, in the spring season, is always much crowded. A most 



