.250 



AMERICAN VINES. 



I 



1 



fact, this is simply because the buds of the stock are 

 not removed in a proper way. It is not sufficient to re- 

 move them, as is done for Vialla and Riparia, by cutting 

 the base of the main bud; a large cut of at least half-a- 

 centimetre (% inch) in diameter must be made, as shown 

 in Fig. 134; in doing so the principal as well as the 

 latent buds are removed. With this pre- 

 caution, grafts on Rupestris succeed better 

 than on any other stock; and recently 

 45,000 Rupestris grafted cuttings gave us 

 80 per cent, strikes, and over 60 per cent. 

 good knittings. It is preferable to remove 

 the buds only when planting out. 



The scion bears one or two buds; one is 

 sufficient when the nursery is established 

 in loose fresh soil, for in this case the joint, 

 even if close to the surface, is not liable 

 to dry. In dry soils the joint should be 

 buried much deeper, otherwise it would 

 dry ; but if the bud is too much covered 

 with soil it does not grow well. It is 

 therefore rather difficult, in these soils, to 

 place it under the most favorable conditions 

 for growth. If the scion bears two eyes, 

 on the contrary, the joint is always placed 

 deep enough to prevent its desiccation; 

 and the upper bud of the scion, which alone 

 develops, is covered with y^ inch of soil at 

 most. 



Stock and scion thus prepared are joined 

 as previously described. 



The grafts made before April are tied 

 with sulphated and washed raffia, isolated 

 from the joint by lead or tin foil; after 

 April non-sulphated raffia may be used, 

 without lead or tin foil. The strands should 

 not touch each other (Figs. 117, 119, 122), 



^ > WaX sh uld be ^' 



(fr) Stratification and callusing. The 

 grafted cuttings are planted out immedi- 

 ately, if prepared at the end of April; otherwise they 

 are preserved till the moment of planting out. In this 

 case, they are tied in bundles of ten to twenty, and placed 



Showing thfway of 



removing the eyes 



