72 



The Grape Culturist. 



pieces of from two and one half to 

 three inches of wood below a bud, 

 with about an inch above, and cared 

 for as directed in my previous paper. 

 For description and method of buil- 

 ding propagating and growing house, 

 I would refer to an excellent book, 

 ''Gardening For Profit,^' by Mr. Pe- 

 ter Henderson, South Bergen, I^T. J., 

 and 07, Nassau St. N. Y. When the 

 proper season arrives — which is to he 

 determined by each individual in their 

 particular location — the cuttings are 

 taken from the material in which they 

 have been stored, washed clean, being 

 careful they do not get dry, they are 

 pushed into the sand bed at an angle 

 of about sixty degrees, Avith the bud 

 on the. upper side, so as to nearly 

 cover the bud, in rovrs across the bed, 

 two and a half inches apart, and one 

 inch in the row. The sand at this 

 time being slightly moist and 7iot too 

 tightly packed. After the cuttings 

 have been put in, the bed should bo 

 thoroughly watered with a fine rose 

 watering pot, to firmly settle the sand 

 around the cuttings. The tempera- 

 ture of the bed at the time of sticking 

 cuttings should be at from 50^ to 55"; 

 this temperature should be maintained 

 for a fow days^ when it may be gra- 

 dually raised to 70", and jiever above 

 75°, as the young roots are too deli- 

 cate to endure under a higher tem- 

 perature, without causing more or 

 less decay, consequent exhaustion, and 

 drooping of the young and'tender leaves 

 The night temperature should be at 

 least 5" lower than during day ti me. The 

 temperature of the room should at all 

 times be from 10" to 15" lower than 

 the bed, thus retarding the pushing of 

 the bud until roots are well formed 



ready to sustain the 3'ouug growing- 

 cane. Keeping- also this one idea 

 prominent, give abundance of pure air 

 at all times, as plants while growing 

 require it as much as animals. I 

 would here' remark, that the best in- 

 clination of the propagation house, is 

 to the North ; the avoidance of 

 the direct rays of the sun, giving 

 'too much heat, the reflected blue rays 

 of light, with the actinic or chemical 

 rays are better obtained, which are 

 very essential to successful propa- 

 gation. When the young plants be- 

 gin to show a healthful, steady groAvth, 

 the propagator may know that roots 

 are formed sufficient for potting. 

 After potting, the plants should be 

 placed in the growing room, in a moist 

 temperature of from 75" to 80",aintil 

 the roots have drawn vrcll to the sides 

 of the pot; when they should be har- 

 dened off by giving plenty of air, pre- 

 paratory to planting out in the open 

 border in iceU prepared soil, where 

 they are to grow for the season. A 

 very convenient tool to expedite and 

 render the labor of plan ting from the 

 pots easier, is made by turning in a 

 lathe a piece of hard wood, of the 

 same size and taper of the inside of 

 the pots used, but continuing the 

 shape so as to make the b^ock one 

 and a half inches longer than the 

 depth of the pot. In the centre of 

 the larger end, bore an inch hole two 

 inches deep, in which put a handle 

 one inch in diameter and four feet 

 long. When ready for planting, 

 draw a line aci'oss the ground, inten-.. 

 ded for planting, so as to make a mark; 

 a man takes the tool in his hands, 

 standing near the mark, with his right 

 foot on the projection of the upper 



