Propagation of Plants. 



37 



cuttings are made from ripe wood or 

 the green succulent stem. 



As the grape is claiming a very- 

 large shai'e of attention at the present 

 time, in the remaining part of this 

 article, I will take up the first and 

 most important item in its propaga- 

 tion ; viz ; the kind of wood, its treat- 

 ment pi-eparatory to going into the 

 propagating house, or out-door bor- 

 der. 



The wood from vines carrying and 

 perfecting a crop of fruit, is not good; 

 for too much of the vital energy is 

 required to perfect the seed for repro- 

 duction ; the cambium is too thin, the 

 bud not strongly developed, nor the 

 wood soperfectly ripened as to bein con- 

 dition for successful propagation. Nei- 

 ther from the wood of young vines, nor 

 fi'om those of the first season trans- 

 planted; nor from vines that have 

 been under succecsive propagation and 

 grown under glass. If taken from the 

 wood of vines at the season of trans- 

 planting, there is a want of vigor in- 

 duced by the energies of the vine being 

 required to recover from the effects 

 of transplanting. The vines produced 

 from continued propagation of the 

 wood from such young vines, makes 

 a continued remove as to the earli- 

 ness of fruiting. The wood of vines 

 of continued propagation and growth 

 under glass, although it is well ripened 

 from the length of season artificially 

 given it, yet it becomes more a plant 

 of the tropics, from the moist, high 

 temperature, in which it is grown, 

 rendering the leaf thin and delicate, 

 the wood, bark and roots of necessity 

 become equally delicate and tendei', 

 illy prepared in its structure to with- 

 stand the more rigorous climate to 



which it is subjected Avhen planted in 

 the vinyard or garden ; lingering 

 along, hoping to live, but having to 

 yield to the ^'king of terrors" unable 

 to withstand the vicissitudes of its 

 uncongenial climate. Thousands of 

 such vines have been sent out, highly 

 recommended by growers, to the very 

 great disappointment, delay and pe- 

 cuniary loss of purchasers. The wood 

 from strong, healthy vines, carrying 

 fruit of the earlier part of the seasons 

 growth, should be used to make strong, 

 vigorous plants, as then there will be 

 less small, unsaleable plants produced, 

 giving better satisfaction to the plan- 

 ter, a better character and greater re- 

 muneration to the propagator. It 

 would even be mucfi better for those 

 pursuing the business of producing 

 vines, to grow a plantation expressly 

 for wood for propagation. The time 

 for cutting the wood for propagating, 

 is as soon as the leaf has ripened and 

 fallen, before the qold winds have 

 evaporated the sap, shriveling the 

 cambium and wood. As fast as cut 

 — and that better on a cloudy, damp 

 day — the wood should be gathered 

 and put into a damp cellar or moist 

 room, cut into such lengths as re- 

 quired for use, not allowing the cuttings 

 at any time to get dry, by letting them 

 drop into a bucket of water as fast as 

 cut, packing them away in sphagnum 

 or white pine sawdust, moistened so 

 as to pack in the hand, in boxes 

 nailed close. 



During winter the boxes should be 

 kept in a moist cool room, tempera- 

 ture from 45'^ to 50", until within 

 some two weeks before wanted for 

 use, when they may be removed into 

 a temperature of 55° to 60", commen- 



