5 :4 ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE. 



split it with a grafting chisel and inserted 

 from one to two cions, according to size 

 of stock, cut to a long wedge with 

 shoulders on each side. I used no band- 

 ages, as the stocks were strong enough to 

 hold the cions firmly, and only pressed 

 moist earth on the cut to cover the wound. 

 This was done on the 22d and 23d of 

 March, and the cion covered and shaded 

 to the top bud. About three-fourths of 

 the grafts grew vigorously and fruited the 

 next year. They have produced heavy 

 crops ever since, and when at Hermann, 

 a week ago, I still found them vigorous 

 and healthy, while the Catawbas around 

 them have " passed away " several years 

 ago. I have practiced various methods 

 since, with more or less success, and still 

 think this the best and most practicable, 

 though it is neither an easy nor a pleas- 

 ant task, as it must be performed when 

 the ground is still cold and moist, and 

 requires a good deal of stooping. The 

 inner bark or liber of the vine is very 

 thin, while the outer bark is very thick 

 •on a large old stock. The success of the 

 operation depends entirely on a good 

 junction of the liber of stock and cion, 

 and therefore requires a steady hand and 

 a good eye to push the cion to its place. 

 My friends, the venerable Fr. Muench 

 and Samuel Miller, practice about the 

 same method, and are both almost inva- 

 riably successful. The cions should, if 

 possible, be cut in fall and kept on the 

 north side of a building or fence, so as to 

 remain dormant. Should the stock not 

 be strong enough to hold the cion firmly, 

 it should be tied with basswood bark, or 

 an oblique cut be made instead of a split. 

 This is preferable in small vines any way, 

 as by so doing, the fibres of stock and 

 cions are both cut obliquely, and there- 

 fore make a closer fit. 



There are other different methods. 

 Another, which I will mention here, has 

 been practiced at Hermann with very 

 good success, though I have not been 

 very successful with it. It has the ad- 

 vantage of saving the vine, provided the 

 graft does not take. It is done by sim- 

 ply making an oblique cut into the stock 

 below the surface or crown, and insert- 

 ing the cion, cut a rather blunt wedge, by 

 lending the stock to one side, and there- 

 by opening the cut. If the cion takes, 

 the stock is cut off above it. Another 



method is grafting under the bark later 

 in the season, when the sap flows freely 

 and the bark peels readily; a long, 

 slanting cut is made on one side of the 

 cion, the stock cut off square, the bark 

 lifted with a knife, and the scion pushed 

 down under it. Every one who has 

 practiced budding will readily perform 

 this operation. The stock is then tied 

 with basswood bark. I have followed 

 this plan with varied success later in the 

 season, but prefer the first method. I 

 think grafting above ground impractica- 

 ble in our climate, on account of the 

 high winds and drying influence of our 

 summer sun. 



As to the advantages to be gained by 

 grafting, they are manifold. They may 

 be summed up as follows : 



1. The facility it gives us to try and 

 fruit new and rare kinds by grafting them 

 on strong stocks of healthy varieties, 

 where they will often make wood strong 

 enough for fruiting the next season, and 

 give us abundance of propagating wood, 

 thus gaining more than a year. 



2. Nearly every vineyard contains 

 some worthless varieties, which are, how- 

 ever, strong and healthy growers. These 

 can, by grafting, be changed into the 

 most valuable varieties. 



3. The facility by which varieties which 

 are very difficult to propagate may be in- 

 creased and multiplied, as nearly every 

 variety will graft readily. 



4. Last, but not least, it gives us a 

 means of successfully combating the 

 Phylloxera, as your experiments have so 

 conclusively proven. If the Catawba 

 and many of our most valuable varieties, 

 have deteriorated because this little in- 

 sect has been to work on their roots, and 

 the roots of other varieties are compara- 

 tively exempt from its ravages, the reme- 

 dy would indeed be a very simple one. 

 By planting such varieties as propagate 

 readily, and also graft with ease, they 

 could be changed by grafting the second 

 spring. I know, from experience, that 

 slow growing varieties can be made to 

 grow much more vigorously by grafting 

 on stocks of strong and healthy growers. 

 The most vigorous and productive Dela- 

 ware I know around Hermann, was 

 grafted on a Norton's Virginia, and pro- 

 duced an abundance of fine fruit, when 

 Delawares on their own roots, in the 



