THE GRAPE VINE. 79 



the middle of July, putting a supernumerary to every 

 light, from which I cut ripe grapes the following July, 

 thus not losing a year's crop. 



Manner of Planting. How to plant is of more im- 

 portance than when to plant, for the success of after- 

 years depends more upon it. Let it be supposed that 

 the border is in readiness for the plants. Here there is 

 a mass of soil, and one of the chief objects aimed at in 

 planting should be how best to do it, so as to cause the 

 roots to take the most equable and thorough possession 

 of it in their progress of growth. If the vines be turned 

 out of their pot without breaking their balls or "shak- 

 ing them out," nine out of every ten will not form a 

 fresh growth from the old roots, but will stand still 

 until there are young roots pushed out from the stem 

 above the old roots, immediately under the surface of 

 the soil. These roots will of necessity be few in num- 

 ber, but strong, and will push away into the border 

 without branching much for a time. This, of course, 

 is undesirable. If the roots are thoroughly divested 

 of the soil and spread carefully out, and if at the same 

 time 1 foot or 18 inches of the stem is laid in the 

 soil, they will in this case also stand still, until the 

 stem throws out a whorl of strong roots near the sur- 

 face of the soil, and the vines will entirely forsake the 

 old roots. This will more especially be the case if the 

 old roots are, as sometimes happens, laid out into 

 the cold outside border, and the stem emerges from 

 the border inside, where it is subject to the influence 

 of the hot-water pipes. These two ways of planting 

 are consequently objectionable. 



The best way is to thoroughly divest the roots of 

 all the soil, wash them clean in tepid water, and dis- 

 entangle them carefully. Should any of them be much 



