RESISTANT VINEYARDS GRAFTING, PLANTING, CULTIVATION. 143 



during the growing season. In the nursery the vines can be cultivated, 

 irrigated, and generally attended to much more perfectly than in the 

 field. 



6. A rigid .selection of vines for planting can be made, rendering 

 it possible to have nothing in the vineyard but strong plants and perfect 

 unions. 



7. As perfect a stand can be obtained in the vineyard the first year 

 in any soil or season as can be obtained when planting the ordinary non- 

 resistant vines. (See figure on cover.) 



8. The union of every vine can be placed exactly where we want it. 



9. The land where the vineyard is to be planted can be used for other 

 crops for one year longer than when field grafting is adopted. 



10. All the cultural operations during the first year are much less 

 expensive, as they are spread over a much smaller area of land. Two 

 acres of nursery will produce enough bench grafts to plant one hundred 

 acres of vineyard. 



In short, starting a resistant vineyard by means of bench grafts is 

 much better than by any other method used at present, because it is the 

 least costly and gives the best results. This is true whether we produce 

 our own bench grafts or whether we buy them at the present market 

 rate. Growers are earnestly cautioned, however, against planting any 

 bench grafts but the first choice. Second and third choice are little 

 better than field grafts, and many have been offered for sale lately 

 which are sure to give disappointment in the vineyard. There are 

 several nurserymen in the State now who are producing No. 1 bench 

 grafts which are equal, and for planting here perhaps superior, to any 

 produced in Europe. 



With regard to nursery grafting and bench grafting roots, all that 

 can be said in their favor is that they are fairly good methods when 

 bench grafting cuttings is impracticable. They enable us to produce 

 rooted grafts with stocks which, owing to the difficulty with which they 

 root, are very difficult to bench graft as cuttings. By their means we 

 are enabled to utilize resistant cuttings which are too small to bench 

 graft, and a larger percentage of well-grown grafted vines is obtained 

 from the nursery. 



On the other hand, as the stock is at least two years old when grafted 

 there is reason to fear that with some stocks many unions will fail as 

 the vines become older. The vines are larger when they are taken 

 from the nursery, which increases the cost of removal, and there is 

 little i,f any gain in growth over bench grafts when planted in the 

 vineyard. Finally, the method requires a year longer and is in every 

 way more expensive. 



Of field grafting, nothing favorable can be said except that it is more 

 generally understood and the expense and work are spread over several 



