SECRETARY'S REPORT. 97 



than the vine grown in a propagatiiig-house with artificial heat. 

 The weak vines, raised in this way, and rij)eiiing their fruit at a 

 later period — often a fortnight — than the season announced 

 by the vendor, and sometimes failing to ripen their fruit at all ; 

 while the weak and immature wood often dies in the winter, 

 lead many cultivators to believe the vine unworthy of cultiva- 

 tion, and sometimes to reject a variety which is really valuable 

 and which would, when it had acquired strength, or if raised 

 from strong plants, give entire satisfaction. For these reasons 

 he should raise the vines himself when practicable, or otherwise 

 get his plants, as before advised, of two years of age, strong, 

 and well-rooted, of a nurseryman of established reputation. 



If he grows them himself he will take the strongest and best 

 shoots from bearing vines, and having prepared a piece of good 

 ground, rather moist than dry, plant the cuttings as follows: — 

 Open with tlie spade a trench deep enough to take in the cut- 

 tings in a slanting position, so that the last bud on the top of 

 the cutting will be covered about one inch when the ground is 

 levelled off. Place the cuttings, so that these eyes or buds will 

 be as nearly as possible in a straight line for convenience in 

 hoeing and weeding ; let the cuttings be about one foot apart 

 in the row, and the rows about three feet apart, (if pinched for 

 room, two feet will do,) stir the ground frequently during the 

 season, and if the weather prove very dry, water occasionally, 

 and keep down all weeds. In the month of November follow- 

 ing, cut down the vines to six or eight inches. In the second 

 year, let all the wood grow, remembering that the more foliage 

 the more roots, and roots are what you desire to make strong 

 plants. Prune at the time of j)lanting out to a single stem of 

 about half a yard in length, and train the new growth to the 

 pole or the espalier as you may prefer. 



Good vines may be obtained from layers, which is a method 

 some growers prefer to raising them from cuttings ; but we 

 consider this method objectionable — except in the case of vines 

 which do not readily grow from cuttings — because it is very 

 difficult to get up the roots of layers without disturbing the 

 roots of the parent vine ; and because it is necessary to put a 

 liberal dressing of compost on the ground to promote the form- 

 ation of roots ; and this dressing pushes the old vine so rapidly 

 that the w^ood is injured by it, and the crop impaired in 



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