MARCH.] THE VINEYARD. 239 



disconnect them, near to the old plant ; this will be the better way, 

 provided you lay it in deeper than the ordinary culture, to secure 

 it from being disturbed thereby. This the French call Pro-vigner 



Propagation by Cuttings. 



The method of propagating the Vine by cuttings, is in more 

 general practice, than by that of layers, and very justly ; for, plants 

 raised in the latter way, are found to be much inferior to those 

 raised by cuttings, both in point of vigour and durability. 



The particulars necessary to form a good cutting, are principally 

 these : 1st. The eye, or bud, should be large and prominent. 2d. 

 The shoots, moderately strong, round and short-jointed. 3d. The 

 texture of the wood should be close, solid, and compact ; but the 

 best criterion of its maturity, is its solidity, and having very little 

 pith : it is absurd to expect good success, or prosperous plants, 

 from wood imperfectly ripened. 



Unskilful persons frequently choose remarkably strong shoots 

 for cuttings : the extraordinary size is one of the least necessary 

 requisites ; indeed, exceeding strong shoots generally abound too- 

 much with pith, and are too long jointed to claim a preference. 



In the proper pruning season, which in the middle states I con- 

 ceive to be the latter end of February, or first week in March, 

 much earlier in the southern states, and very little later in the east- 

 ern ; take your cuttings from the old vines, near to where they 

 were produced ; cut off the lower end of each in a sloping manner, 

 half an inch below a bud, and the upper end in like manner, an 

 inch above one, having the slope on the opposite side of the 

 bud, and leaving the cutting from twelve to sixteen inches long ; 

 but twelve is sufficient, if short-jointed, and furnished at least with 

 four or five good buds. 



There can be but one firime cutting obtained from each shoot, 

 though many persons cut these into several lengths, and plant them 

 all, which should not be done, except in cases of necessity ; for, the 

 upper parts are never so well ripened as the lower, on account of 

 these being produced at an earlier period, and having the advantage 

 of the whole season to perfect their maturity. The upper parts 

 being soft and spongy, admits the moisture too freely, which often 

 prevents their growth, and even should they succeed, they will not 

 produce fruit so soon, nor will they bear so abundantly for many- 

 years, as those whose wood is close, compact, and already organ- 

 ized for fruitification. 



Some people recommend taking off the cuttings, with an inch 

 or two of the two years old wood annexed ; but this is unnecessa- 

 ry, and even injurious, unless the species of plant which you are 

 propagating, is extremely pithy and spongy, like the fig ; for, the 

 nearer we approach to nature's method, by having as little old wood 

 as possible about the root of a young plant, the better. 



When the cuttings are thus prepared, they should be laid in 

 trenches, close to each other, in some dry part of the Vineyard, 



