22 THE GKAPE CULTURIST. 



equal to those propagated by any other mode ; but if im- 

 properly grown, they are of but little value and often en- 

 tirely worthless. 



The buds used for propagating should be large and well 

 developed, and at no time of their growth should the plants 

 be allowed to receive a check, either by being too cold or 

 too hot. While it may be necessary to keep up a vigor- 

 ous growth, it must be borne in mind that the plants 

 may be forced too rapidly by the use of stimulating ma- 

 nures and by subjecting them to too greLt heat, the result 

 of which will be soft, spongy, unripened wood and roots. 

 Sometimes the roots will have small tuberous appendages 

 at their ends, which is often caused by the presence of too 

 much stimulating food. When vines are propagated from 

 single buds, and are kept in pots during the entire season, 

 the enlargement of the ends of the roots will usually occur 

 upon all those that grow out until they reach the sides of 

 the pots. This does not show disease nor overgrowth, but 

 merely that the roots are crowded, and that they need 

 more room. But when these little tubers are found on the 

 small roots all through the soil, it shows that they have 

 been made unhealthy by injudicious treatment. The same 

 phenomenon of dropsical roots is often seen upon vines 

 grown in the open air, especially where large quantities of 

 muck and fresh manures are used without first being 

 thoroughly decomposed. 



MODE OF OPERATION. 



Cut the wood from the vines in the fall, after the leaves 

 have fallen, but before it has been severely frozen, and put 

 away in moist earth or sand in the cellar or bury it in the 

 open ground, where it will be protected from the frost and 

 can be reached when wanted. The last of February or 

 the first of Man h is the usual time in this latitude to com- 

 mence starting the buds. There is nothing gained by 



