GRAPE. 128 



the first season and will show blossoms about the fourth year. 

 Some will have perfect and some staminate flowers, while others 

 will have flowers with reflexed stamens; not one seedling in a 

 thousand will be worth anything for fruit. The chances for 

 obtaining good kinds will be much increased if careful, intelli- 

 gent hybridization is resorted to. 



By cuttings. Grape cuttings are of three kinds long and 

 short hard-wood cuttings, and soft-wood cuttings. The pro- 

 cesses by which they are rooted vary greatly in details but 

 the general principles are the same in every case. 



Long hard-wood cuttings. These should be made in the 

 fall from the hard, well-ripened new wood of the season. It 

 is best to make them about eight inches long, if wood is abun- 

 dant. The length will necessarily depend somewhat on the 

 distance between the buds on the canes, and when three-bud 

 cuttings are made of some varieties they may be ten inches 

 long. They are often made six inches or less in length, but as 

 short as this they are more liable to fail from drying out than 

 if longer. They will send out roots best if cut just below a bud, 

 but this is not necessary. These cuttings should be put up in 

 bundles of about one hundred each. Bury them in some well- 

 drained place with the tops down, and cover with about six 

 inches of soil and a foot or two of mulch. Be sure the soil is 

 packed firmly around and between the bundles, so that they 

 cannot dry out in winter. In the spring, when the ground is 

 dry, take all but about three inches of the soil from over the cut- 

 tings and replace it with about one foot of hot stable manure, to 

 induce the cuttings to callous. This is very necessary to insure 

 their rooting, and they should never be planted out until well 

 calloused. The same object may be secured by covering the 

 cuttings with a box and sash, which will confine the sun's rays 

 ana so warm the roots that they will start a callous. When the 

 soil is settled and warm they should be planted out six inches 

 apart, in rows two or three feet apart, putting the cuttings down 

 to the top bud. They should be put at least seven inches deep 

 in most locations. 



The land for cuttings. The land selected for growing grape 

 cuttings should be warm, light and rich. Its condition will be 



