214 



PLANT PROPAGATION 



be done. One man who thoroughly understands all details can 

 oversee several unskilled workmen, making it possible to employ 

 cheap labor for much of the work. Cultural conditions are more 

 easily controlled. There is less danger of inferior results due to 

 excessively wet or dry weather during the growing season. In the 

 nursery the vines can be cultivated, irrigated and generally attended 

 to much more perfectly than in the field. Rigid selection of vines 

 for planting can be made, rendering it possible to have nothing in 

 the vineyard but strong plants and perfect unions. As perfect 

 stands can be obtained in vineyards the first year in any soil or 

 season as when planting ordinary non-resistant vines. Unions of 

 vines can be placed exactly where wanted. Land where the vineyard 

 is to be planted can be used for other crops one year longer than 

 when field grafting is adopted. All cultural operations during the 

 first year are much less expensive 

 than in vineyard grafting, as 

 they are spread over a much 

 smaller area- Two acres of nursery 

 will produce enough bench grafts to 

 plant 100 acres of vineyard. 



In short, starting a resistant vine- 

 yard by means of bench grafts is 

 much better than by any other 

 method used at present, because it 

 is least costly and gives best results. 

 This is true whether the bench grafts 

 are produced at home or bought at 

 present market rates. Growers are 

 earnestly cautioned, however, against 

 planting any but first choice bench 

 grafts ; second and third choice are 

 little better than field grafts- 

 All that can be said in favor of 

 nursery grafting and bench grafting 

 roots, is that vines so produced are 

 fairly good when bench grafting is 

 impracticable. These methods permit 

 root grafting with stocks which, 

 owing to rooting difficulty, are very 

 difficult to bench graft as cuttings. By their means resistant cut- 

 tings too small to bench graft may be utilized, and a larger percent- 

 age of well-grown grafted vines 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 taken 

 from the nursery, thus increasing cost of removal. There is little 

 if any gain from growth over bench grafts when vineyard planted. 

 Finally, the method requires a year longer, and is more expensive. 

 276. Grafting resistant grape stocks. F. Gillet obtained best 



FIG. 177 GRAFTING 

 CONIFERS 



a, stock, b, cion in English 

 "cleft" graft, b, English method 

 for cypress, juniper, etc. 



