488 [ THE VINE. 



Planting is done at any time from November with 

 the first shedding of the foliage soon after the first rains, 

 to the end of February, but the sooner the better as the 

 soil will have time to settle well around the cutting or 

 on the roots of the young plant, and success is better 

 assured. Rooted cuttings or young vines planted early 

 in autumn when the temperature is still above 15 C. 

 generally display at once some activity in their root 

 system, and therefore being already semi-established at 

 the resumption of vegetation in spring, they push with 

 greater vigour, and are less liable to failure in dry 

 springs. Cuttings planted early form their callus before 

 winter, and therefore the emission of roots precedes the 

 development of the shoot, whereas with late planting 

 the buds begin to push before the formation of the callus 

 and the emission of roots, so that the risk of failure is 

 much greater. Layers or plants grown in pots can be 

 transferred to the ground at any time, as then the root 

 system is not interfered with at all, but of course will 

 require watering if the transfer is made in summer. On 

 the other hand, it is not possible to transplant a vine 

 during active growth, as any injury to the root system is 

 resented at once, even if the plant is taken up with a 

 good ball of earth. 



The vine whether a plant or a cutting, should not 

 be planted deeper than 20 to 30 or 35 c m. Even in 

 our light soils and in dry situations this depth should not 

 be exceeded, and in fairly rich and moist soils a depth of 

 20 to 25 c.m. is quite sufficient. Planting is often made 

 at a depth of 50 c.m. to i metre, but this practice 

 presents no advantages, and is altogether mistaken. 

 Cuttings planted too deeply often fail to strike root, as 

 the lower part or heel, which is the best part of the 

 cutting rots away through want of aeration, particularly 

 in wet winters, and in any case a vine planted too deeply 

 grows slowly and may not be in a condition to bear fruit 



