1889.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 123 



setting the vines, which work should always be done in the 

 spring, and for the best results, certainly not later than the 

 first of June. 



The setting of the vines I shall propose to do by the 

 method called hill-planting, — the only one I shall describe 

 this morning, though there are other methods that may in 

 some cases be better. 



The tools (all home-made) for the planting of the vines 

 are first a marker, made of light material, to be easily 

 drawn by a man, marking or indicating more or less rows 

 as you please ; next, a spud : to make this, take a round 

 stick or piece of wood pointed at the lower end, about ten 

 inches from the rather blunt point, bore a hole in this stick 

 and drive in firmly a piece of strong wood projecting on one 

 side about three inches, upon which to place the foot to drive 

 it into the ground, making the hole for the planting ; last, 

 a dibble, or small wooden trowel, for setting the vines. 

 These simple implements are sufiicient for ordinary work, 

 the marker leading and making straight rows, followed by 

 the spud driven into the ground at each intersection, and 

 carefully withdrawn that the hole shall not fill ; again fol- 

 lowed by a boy to carry and select and have ready the vines 

 for the trusty and careful man to set them in the holes and 

 press the sand firmly around them, which completes the 

 work. 



The vines should be fresh and thrifty, not allowed to wilt 

 or shrivel, but kept moist or in water, till placed in the hill. 

 They should be prepared by hand-sorting, to be sure they 

 are clean from any and every other root or grass, and when 

 cleaned, straightened out into ropes, and these cut into 

 lengths of about nine inches (if the sand is six inches deep), 

 and bound in blocks or bundles of convenient size (some- 

 what as kiln-dried kindling fuel is tied up) , for the boy who 

 shall accompany the planter. After being thoroughly soaked 

 in water till they take on a bright, fresh look, they are ready 

 for use. 



Now the planter takes a small handful , — perhaps from a 

 dozen to a score of the cut vines, — and grasping the top 

 end firmly in one hand, places the square end of the dib- 

 ble on the vines about two inches from the other end and 



