38 GRAPE CULTUKE AND 



even with it. Draw in fine soil with the hoe, and firm it 

 well around the base of the cutting, as it is important that it 

 should be closely packed around it, filling up to the top of 

 the cuttings, and if some fine soil is drawn over it, it is all 

 the better for this mulch. Keep clean with hoe and cultiva- 

 tor, and the soil stirred frequently during the summer, to 

 keep it mellow and moist. I have found this much better 

 than irrigating, which makes the ground cold and hard, dur- 

 ing a time when the young plant needs warmth as well as 

 moisture. If the ground is well stirred, it will never dry out 

 deep enough to injure the roots. The plants can then be 

 taken up in fall or early winter, and handled and planted 

 similar to seedlings. If for particular reasons, it should be- 

 come necessary to plant cuttings immediately in the vineyard, 

 I would advise to plant two, instead of one, making a hole 

 with a spade, and getting the base of the cuttings about six 

 inches apart, so that, if both should grow, one can be re- 

 moved and planted elsewhere. In this manner, we can avoid 

 vacancies, as either one or the other will usually grow. 



CHAPTER V. 

 PROPAGATION BY LAYERS. 



This is but little practiced in California, owing to the 

 facility by which all the Vinifera species can be propagated 

 by cuttings. It is, however, valuable in propagating such 

 varieties as have very hard wood and will not root readily 

 from cuttings, especially of the /Kstivalis class; and for 

 filling vacancies in old vineyards. I will first describe the 



