ON THE PROPAGATION OP VINES. 75 



that are to be inserted in the ground, and cut them trans- 

 versely JMS/ below the buds, and the cuttings will be com- 

 plete. The priming-knife should be very sharp, so 

 that the cuts at the ends may be perfectly smooth. The 

 length of each cutting betwixt the two buds should 

 not be less thanybwr, nor more than six inches, in or- 

 der that the bottom buds may be at such a distance 

 from the surface of the soil as will best promote their 

 vegetation. 



The cuttings being thus prepared, must be planted 

 immediately, for which purpose make holes in the 

 ground (about a foot apart each way, if the plants when 

 raised are to be subsequently transplanted) with a stick 

 about the size of the cuttings, and insert the latter, so 

 that the uppermost buds shall be just even with the 

 surface of the ground. Press the mould close round 

 each cutting, in order to prevent the sun and air dry- 

 ing up its juices. If the mould should subsequently 

 sink down, and leave the buds above the surface, more 

 must be added to keep them even with it. After the 

 first of May, care must be taken to keep the soil round 

 the cuttings constantly moist. For this purpose, sup- 

 ply each cutting as often as required, according to the 

 state of the weather, with about a pint of soapsuds, and 

 continue so to do, until it has formed a communication 

 with the soil, which will soon be rendered apparent by 

 the protrusion of a shoot, and its daily elongation. 

 When the bud bursts, the process of evaporation com- 

 mences, and if the moisture in the cutting be consumed 

 quicker than the latter can absorb it from the soil, the 

 young loaves turn yellow and die, and the vitality of 

 the cutting will be in danger of being destroyed.* It 



* If the first shoot that pushes from the cutting should die off, 

 which at times it will do, even after it has grown five or six inches 

 in length the cutting must not on that account be taken up, be- 

 cause another shoot produced from the bottom bud, will, most 



