CUTTINGS IN OPEN AIR. 57 



the one-year-old cane, and by cutting through the two-year- 

 old wood, leaving a small piece of it attached, so that the 

 whole resembles a small mallet. Fig. 18 shows the form 

 of the mallet cutting. The advantage derived from the 

 presence of the piece of old wood is not, as is sometimes 

 slated, because roots are more readily produced from it, 

 but because there are several buds at the point of junction 

 of the old and young wood, and, consequently, a larger 

 deposit of cambium than where there is but a single bud. 

 The piece of old wood assists in protecting these buds 

 until roots are produced. 



The number of cuttings that can be obtained from a vine 

 is necessarily but few, as only one is made from each cane, 

 and it will depend very much upon the mode of training 

 whether it will do to cut away the old wood for this pur- 

 pose. The cuttings should not be made more than ten or 

 twelve inches long ; they are sometimes made much longer, 

 but it is unnecessary, as too much wood will often prove 

 injurious. 



There are some Varieties of grapes, for instance the 

 Delaware and Norton's Virginia, that grow much more 

 readily from mallet cuttings than from the ordinary two 

 or three-bud cuttings. Sometimes the laterals that have 

 been allowed to grow unchecked, and have produced canes 

 of considerable size, are used, leaving a piece of the main 

 cane attached to form the mallet. 



The mallet cutting is perhaps the most ancient form of 

 cutting. The Romans made their cuttings in this manner, 

 and they were called malleolus, from the Latin malleus / 

 hence our word mallet. The French vineyardists still 

 adhere to this form of cutting, and with them they are 

 called crosetts. 



There are some vineyardists in this country who, to ex- 

 tend their vineyards, depend almost entirely upon the few 

 cuttings of this form which they are able to get from their 

 vines, and there is no doubt but that excellent vines may 



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