164 THE NURSERY. 



It is not my purpose to describe, in detail, all the opera- 

 tions connected with the propagation of the grape, but 

 to give a general idea of the several methods, and the 

 principles upon which they are supposed to be founded. 

 Those who desire more explicit and full information may 

 consult some of the special treatises on the grape, which 

 have recently been published. 



The foreign varieties of the grape are propagated al- 

 most exclusively from eyes of the ripe wood. 



They are prepared and planted on a bottom heat, as 

 described for the hardy sorts. 



The eyes, however, are usually put in pots a single 

 eye in a 3-inch pot when only a small number are to be 

 propagated, or several eyes may be put in a large pot 

 around the edges. On a large scale, the eyes may be 

 planted directly on the propagating benches, or in boxes 

 containing several hundred eyes. 



The material used to plant them in, either in pots, 

 boxes, or on the benches, is almost pure sand, and the 

 eyes are inserted so that the bud shall be nearly covered. 



Here, a steady temperature of 70 or 80, and regular 

 watering, are indispensable. When they have made a 

 growth of three or four inches, the plants can be shifted 

 into pots of good, rich compost, and replaced on the bot- 

 tom heat, watered regularly, tied up, and the laterals 

 suppressed ; they will make fine plants in one season. 

 Towards autumn, say after 1st of September, ample ven- 

 tilation and little watering should be given, so as to pro- 

 mote the ripening of the wood. 



Wintering the Young Plants. Young plants of the 

 hardy grapes, whether grown in the house or open -bor- 

 der, should be allowed to stand in their place until the 

 approach of hard freezing, so that they may ripen as well 

 as possible. 



They should then be taken up, " heeled in," laid in 

 trenches in dry soil, covering the roots and stem almost 



