THE VINE. ] 469 



of the wood above the bud and 2 to 3 c.m. below it, 

 and are dibbled in sand with their bud directed upwards 

 and covered to a depth of about 2 c.m., either singly 

 in small pots or a few together in pans, and placed 

 under glass. Such cuttings made early in March will 

 strike roots here in the open air, if kept fairly moist 

 and in the shade of trees. But this method of pre- 

 paration is hardly recommendable except to the amateur, 

 or in case that it is desired to propagate a rare sort of 

 which few cuttings are available. 



The vine is frequently propagated by layers. These 

 may be of three types : (a) the Winter Layer, (b) the 

 Spring or Summer Layer, and (c) the Chinese Layer. 



The Winter Layer is the method usually followed 

 by our \ine growers to fill up gaps in the vineyard, and 

 according to this method (It. = propaggine, M.^purpajn) 

 the vine may be layered wholly or in part. In the first 

 case (It. == provanatura) as many canes as may be 

 required are allowed to remain on the vine, and a deep 

 trench is excavated from the base of the stem or root- 

 stock in the direction taken by the principal stem of the 

 vine, with secondary trenches of the same depth in the 

 direction of the several canes which have been retained. 

 The stem is layered deeply along the principal trench 

 and the several canes are distributed along the secondary 

 trenches and buried deeply leaving a good terminal bud 

 situated on healthy wood at the end of each trench, just 

 above the ground. Some well rotted manure should be 

 spread along the trench, especially close to the junction 

 between the old and the new wood where roots are more 

 likely to form, but no manure should be in direct contact 

 with the layer. Where the vine is only partly layered, a 

 trench is excavated on the spot where there is a gap in 

 the vineyard, and a long cane preferably of new wood, 

 selected from the nearest vine, is layered deeply in 

 the same manner. This method of filling up gaps in the 



