Chap. XII. OF THE VINE. 581 



/hort. The leaving the upper part of the fhoots on all the winter, 

 is of great fervice to the cuttings : becaufe when they are cut off in 

 autumn, the air penetrates the wounded part, and greatly injures the 

 other eyes. In making the cuttings after this manner, there can be 

 but one taken from each Ihoot: whereas moft perfons cut them into 

 lengths of about a foot, and plant them all, which is very wrong : 

 for the upper part of the (hoots are never fo well ripened as the low- 

 er, which was produced early in the fpring, and has had the whole 

 fummer to harden ; fo that if they take root, they never make fo 

 good plants ; for the wood of thofe cuttings being fpongy and foft, 

 admits the moifture too freely, whereby the plants will be luxuriant 

 in growth, but never fo fruitful as thofe whofe wood is clofer and 

 more compad:. 



" The cuttings may remain In the ground till the beginning of April, 

 (which is the beft time for planting them,) when you fliould take 

 them out, and wafli them from the filth they have contradled, and 

 if you find them very dry, you fliould let them ftand with their 

 lower parts in the water, fix or eight hours, which will diflend their 

 veflels, and difpofe them for taking root. Then the ground being 

 before prepared where the plants are defigned to remain, whether 

 againft walls, or for ftandards, (for they fhould not be removed 

 again,) the cuttings (hould be planted: but in preparing the ground, 

 you fhould confider the nature of the foil, which, if flrong, and 

 inclinable to wet, is by no means proper for grapes; therefore where 

 it fo happens, you fhould open a trench where the cuttings are to be 

 planted, which fhould be filled with lime rubbifh, the better to 

 drain off the moiflure : then raife the border with frefh light earth 

 about two feet thick, fo that it may be at leaft a foot above the level 

 of the ground : then you fhould open the holes at about fix feet 

 diflance from each other, putting one good fVong cutting into each 

 hole, in which it fhould be laid a little floping, and fo deep, as that 

 the uppermoft eye may be level with the furface of the ground : for 

 when any part of the cutting is left above ground, as is the common 

 method ufed by the Englifh gardeners, moft of the buds attempt to 

 Ihoot ; fo that the ftrength of the cutting is divided to nourifh fo 

 many fhoots, which mufl confequently be weaker than if only dne 

 of them grew : whereas on the contrary, by burying the whole! 

 cutting in the ground, the fap is all employed in one fingle fhoot, 

 which confequently will be much f^rongeri, befides, the fun and air 



arc 



