GRAFTING GRAPE VINES 



299 



year, unless the stock is exceptionally vigorous. Budding is most 

 successful in the month of August. The buds should be taken from 

 canes which have reached the stage of maturity indicated by the 

 pith turning white and just before the bark turns yellow. 



Grafting the Vine.-^-Grafting in old vine roots is a simple opera- 

 tion, and is performed in various ways. The principles involved in 

 vine grafting are similar to those affecting tree grafting, as de- 

 scribed in Chapter IX. The processes employed are also similar, 

 but the graft requires less binding and waxing is dispensed with, 

 because the graft is made beneath the surface of the ground, and 

 is, therefore, less subject to accident, exposure, and drying out. 



Grafting in the Old Stump. This is resorted to when the char- 

 acter of the vineyard is to be changed. Out of the many ways for 



Budding from previous season's growth. 



working into old stumps, one introduces the scion by a side cut into 

 the stock without splitting across. The earth is removed from the 

 old vine down to its first lateral roots, and the top is sawed off 

 cleanly a few inches above the first laterals. A cut is then made 

 into 1 the side of the stump with a knife and mallet. The scion is 

 then cut long enough so that one bud will remain above ground 

 when the surface is leveled again, the bottom of the scion being 

 given an oblique wedge-shape, so as to fit the crevice in the stock. 

 Some care is needed in shaping the wedge of the scion, so that the 

 surfaces in contact will give good results. If the stock is well 

 made and the end of the scion so adjusted that the stock will pinch 

 it when it is pushed into place, nothing more will be needed except 

 to smear over the cut surface of the stump and the joint of the 

 scion and stock with clay or with a mixture of two parts clay 

 and one part fresh cow manure. If the scion is held firmly and 



