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VIT 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



VIT 



of the distant prospect of fruit, partly from the hazard cf 

 obtaining better kinds than we have already. To this it may 

 be answered, that a seedling Vine, judiciously managed, 

 will produce fruit the third or fourth year; and if proper 

 care and attention be bestowed on the seed sown, the best 

 sorts may very reasonably be expected. 

 On Grafting of Vines. At the pruning season, 'make choice of 

 cuttings for grafts, or scions, from the best bearing branches 

 of the sorts intended to be propagated. In general the 

 bottom part of the last year's shoot is to be preferred ; but 

 in well-ripened vigorous wood, any part of the shoot will 

 answer, provided it be not too long-joined. These cuttings 

 should be preserved in pots filled with light sandy earth till 

 the grafting season. Vines in a Pine-stove should be grafted 

 in the beginning of January; but the middle of March is a 

 proper season to graft Vines growing in the open air. In 

 general, they should be grafted about three weeks before they 

 begin to break into bud. Upon small stocks, not more than 

 an inch in diameter, cleft-grafting is most proper ; but upon 

 larger stocks, whip-grafting is to be preferred. In both 

 methods care should be taken in fitting the stock and scion 

 together, and the operation should be performed with great 

 (exactness. Fasten them together with bass-matting, and 

 cover them with clay in the usual way. Though the scion 

 will sometimes begin to push in a few weeks, yet it will 

 frequently remain dormant two or three months: during this 

 period the stock must be stripped of all its shoots, as soon as 

 they appear ; and to preserve the scion in a vegetative state, 

 the clay must be kept moderately moist, by wrapping wet 

 moss round it, and by keeping the moss constantly sprinkled 

 with water. When the scion has made shoots five or six 

 inches long, the clay and bandage should be carefully taken 

 off. But the most eligible method with Vines is grafting by 

 approach. In which case it is necessary to have the plant 

 intended to be propagated in a pot. Strong plants, that 

 have been two or three years in pots, are to be preferred ; 

 but plants from the nursery may be potted, and grafted in 

 the same season, if brought into a hot-house or vinery. Fine 

 Grapes and good wood maybe obtained even the first season 

 by any of these methods, but particularly by the last; in 

 which it is obvious that the graft has a double support; 

 namely, from the stock, and from the plant in the pot. In 

 grafting by approach, the clay and bandage should remain 

 two or three months after the graft has formed a union ; for 

 if it be taken off sooner, the graft will be very liable to spring 

 from the sto;-k. The pot should be plentifully supplied with 

 water till the month of August, when the graft should be 

 separated from the plant in the pot. Two or three inches of 

 wood below the bottom of the graft may be left, but should 

 be taken clean off at the next winter's pruning. The Syrian 

 Vine is the most proper for stocks ; and plants raised from 

 feeds of this sort, are greatly preferable to plants raised 

 cither from layers or cuttings for this purpose. If the pro- 

 duce of these seeds should even degenerate to a kind of 

 wildness, they will still be the better for stocks, because 

 they will on that account rise with greater vigour. The 

 most important advantages of grafting are ; first, that if a 

 wall should have been planted with bud kinds of Vines, 

 instead of stubbing them up, and making a new border, by 

 which several years must elapse before the wall can again be 

 completely filled; by grafting, the nature of the Vines may 

 be changed immediately ; for good Grapes may be obtained 

 from the same year's graft: and in a hot-house, the grafts, if 

 permitted, will frequently shoot thirty or forty feet the first 

 summer. Secondly, in small Vineries, or Vine-frames, where 

 great variety could not be had in the common way; it may 



be procured by grafting different kinds upon the same plant. 

 But the principal advantage of grafting, is the improvement 

 of the various kinds, and particularly the small ones, which 

 generally make weak wood. This may be done by grafting 

 the weak and delicate-growing Vines upon the stocks of 

 those which are more robust and vigorous. Thus the Small 

 Blue Frontinac, engrafted on the Syrian Vine, produces 

 well-sized handsome bunches, with berries almost as large 

 as those of the Black Hamburgh. 



On propagating Vines by Layers. Vines may be increased 

 by stools in open quarters, in the same manner as nursery- 

 men propagate forest trees and shrubs ; but the best way is 

 to train shoots that will easily bend, on walls, at full length 

 during the summer, and in February to lay the finest and 

 strongest across the foot-path into pots (twenty- fours or six- 

 teens) filled with fresh mould, and plunged in the ground 

 about two inches below the surface; at the same time making 

 an incision or two in the old wood, or giving it a twist just 

 below a joint: they will generally take without notching^or 

 twisting, but it is the surer way to do it. The layers must 

 then be cut, leaving two or three strong eyes upon each. 

 When the shoots begin to run, tie them to long stakes, to 

 prevent their being broken by the wind. Pick off all the run- 

 ners and side-shoots, leaving only two or three fine strong 

 shoots on each plant, which should be trained at full length 

 during the summer. As soon as the shoots are laid down, 

 cover them with good dung or rotten leaves, to keep the 

 mould moist : and in very dry summers, give them a good 

 watering once or twice a week. By this method, there may 

 be two or three rows of layers from one wall ; taking care to 

 lay the branches alternately, and to keep the pots plunged 

 about two inches below the level of the ground. The plants 

 will be well rooted in the pots before autumn, and fit for plant- 

 ing in vineries, hot-houses, &c. When they are to be planted 

 out, cut them carefully from the mother Vine, and carry them 

 in the pots to the place where they are to be planted ; taking 

 care to preserve the ball of earth about their roots as much as 

 possible, when they are turned out of the pots. If the season 

 be warm and fine, Grapes of early kinds ripen very well on 

 these layers before they are taken up ; and, if properly 

 managed, they will bear some fruit the first year after plant- 

 ing. One of the strongest shoots must be left nearly at full 

 length, cutting it as high as the uppermost full bud, leaving 

 nothing but round well-ripened wood. If there are three 

 shoots, the remaining two should be cut so as to leave only two 

 full eyes upon each, which should be trained at full length, 

 to produce fine wood for next year. The shoot which was 

 trained the preceding year should then be cut down, leaving 

 only two strong eyes to produce wood for the following year; 

 and so on every year, cutting the branches alternately. By 

 so doing, the walls will be kept always covered with fine 

 healthy bearing wood; and much lime will be saved in fur- 

 nishing hot-houses and vineries. 



Further Directions for propagating Vines Ly cuttings. The 

 cuttings should be chosen from those shoots which are best 

 ripened, and have the shortest joints, always having one 

 or two joints of the last year's wood, cutting it perfectly 

 smooth and a little rounding at the lower end, and as near 

 to a joint of the old wood as possible. Cut the upper end 

 smooth and sloping towards the wall ; or, if in beds or 

 borders, let the cut always face the north. Against piers 

 or walls, set them at about a foot distance, and so deep as 

 to have the second eye level with the ground; remembering 

 always to rub off the lower eye. Pick off all runners and 

 side-shoots, leaving only two shoots, which should be 

 trained at their full length. In February they may be 



