76 



The Grape Culturist. 



and at the end of the second year 

 the}' are scarcely up to tlie size of a 

 thrifty one year old. 



2d. Another class of two year old 

 vines are those packed for sale at the 

 close of the first year, and kept out of 

 the ground, waiting for orders, till 

 very late in the season, and the opera- 

 tion of re-planting does little more 

 than sustain life — they do not make 

 a vigorous growth, but are stinted, so 

 that the best of care is required to 

 restore them to a healthy growth. 



But if a vine makes a healthy growth 

 for two years, its roots are long, and 

 have attained such size that cutting 

 them for transplanting is a serious 

 drawback on its growth. With our 

 views of the case, avc would much 

 prefer the one 3'ear old vines at the 

 same price, provided thoy had made 

 a fair growth. 



So far as we know it is the practice 

 of all experienced vineyardists to plant 

 vines of one year's growth. 



Peter B. Mead says, in his Treatise 

 on American Grape Culture : 



There seems to be a prevalent opin- 

 ion, at least among beginners, that, 



for planting, the vine increased in 

 value with its age; whereas the very 

 opposite of this is true. We lay down 

 the general rule that a well grown 

 vine is in its best condition for 

 planting when one year old. There 

 are but few exceptions to this rule, 

 and some of these are only seeming 

 exeeptions. The real exceptions are 

 vines that have been grown in large 

 pots or tubs, and even these lose their 

 value beyond the third 3'ear. The 

 seeming exceptions consist of plants 

 that have been rout-pruned and trans- 

 planted when one 3'ear old; but these 

 are substantially one year old plants 

 — better if the woi'k has been well 

 done; but if not well done, not so 

 good. * * '^ A vine three or more 

 years old that has not been trans- 

 planted has generally but little value; 

 and yet people very often pay as 

 much for one such vine as would buy 

 a dozen really good ones. They are 

 generally bought under the suppo- 

 sition that they will produce fruii 

 sooner, and more of it; but they do 

 neither. 



GRAFTING GEAPE VINES. 



Mr. lliehl's remarks (page 18), in 

 everything material, coincide with the 

 instruction given by me in the "School 

 for American Grape Culture" (Saint 

 Louis : Conrad Witter), except that, 

 under no circumstances, I deem a tie 

 necessar}-, as the trouble of bandaging 

 may be saved by a very simple pro- 

 ceeding. If the root appear to be not 



strong enough to hold the scion firmly 

 by the force of elasticity, all j-ou have 

 to do is, not to make the split directly 

 vertical, but oblique on one side, and 

 shape the wedge of the gi-aft accord- 

 ingly; then carefully insert the latter, 

 whereupon t-cion and root will hold 

 firmly together like one solid mass. I 

 follow this plan with full success in all 



