«2 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Fio. 6. 



pieces as there are buJs with roots to them, and 

 each will make a plant. 



Grafting, I>l'ddixi>, and iNAiicniNG. — Although 

 the grai)e vine may he multiplied by each of these 

 methods, it is so much more readily propagated by 

 eyoe, cuttings, and layers, that the former methods 

 are seldom resorted to. But it may sometimes 

 happen that a person has an old stock of a I'oor 

 variety, standing in a place where he desires it to 

 remain, Avho wishes to cut it down and graft on it 

 a better kind. If the grape vine be cwt down and 

 .grafted early in the spring, or just before the buds 

 begin to start, it is liable to bleed so profusely as to 

 dislodge the scion. It is, therefore, better to wait 

 until after it has begun to grow, and made shoots 

 eight or ten inches long, and leaves as largo as a 

 silver dollar. It may then be out down to within 

 two inches of the ground, and the stump split with 

 a chisel or large kuife, and a scion of the desired 

 variety pared down in the form of a wedge and in- 

 serted into the split in the stock, so that the bark 

 of the scion will come in con- 

 tact exactly with the bark of 

 the stock, or a union will not 

 take place. It must now be 

 bound tightly round with waxed 

 cloth, so as to exclude air and 

 water, and then earth heaped 

 around nearly to the top of the 

 scion, leaving one or two of the 

 buds out. Fig. 6 will illustrate 

 it. If waxed cloth can not be 

 had, then bind the graft nicely 

 over with basswood bark or worsted yarn, and 

 cover the whole with a lump of wet clay, as large 

 as a duck's egg. 



Inarching and Budding will seldom or never be 

 wanted for the propagation of the native varieties 

 of the vine; therefore they are hardly worth de- 

 scribing here. 



PLANTING. 



There is a difference of opinion existing among 

 planters as to whether cuttings, or one-year, two- 

 year, or three-year-old rooted plants are the best. 

 Those in favor of cuttings contend that they become 

 rooted in their permanent place, where they are to 

 grow; and that the mutilation of their bottom 

 roots, consequent on removal, is thus avoided, 

 ■wliich, if broken off, can never be supplied. The 

 ditiiculty of petting proper cuttings, and the uncer- 

 tainty of their all growing, in the Northern States, 

 particularly with unpracticcd hands, is almost a 

 fufScient veto on planting with cuttings. In the 

 Western and South-western States, where they 

 have early, mild springs, and long, warm summers, 

 cuttings may be more satisfactory; but in the 

 Northern and North-eastern States, where the 

 springs are late (having cold nights np to the first 

 of June) and the summers hot and short, cuttings 

 are not so sure. 



A cutting, for planting at once in the vineyard, 

 6hould bo a portion of wood taken from the base 

 of a cane of the first growth of the present season. 

 It should be round, short-jointed, four or five buds 

 in length, well ripened, and cut with a small por- 

 tion of wood of two seasons' growth at its heel. 

 Such cuttings, if properly managed, will rarely fail. 

 But, few persons will like to cut their vines back 

 BO as to spoil the spurs, which should be saved for 



fruiting another year, for the sake of getting a fe^ 

 cuttings. Cuttings of the second growth, or o 

 pithy, nnriponed wood, are unsuitable. What i 

 wanted, is an early, healthj^, vigorous, and eve 

 growth, that the vines may become well establishe 

 and well ripened the first year ; and how can thi 

 be attained better than by one or two-year-ok 

 well-rooted and well-ripened, healthy plants? 



If it be decided to plant with cuttings, as so* 

 as the ground is in good working order, early i 

 the spring, place the spade perpendicularly an 

 back up to the little marking-stick where the vin 

 is to stand. Then drive the spade into the groun 

 to its full depth, without disturbing the marking 

 stick, and pull it forward, bringing with it a spad( 

 ful of earth. This leaves a little perpendicuk 

 bank, the width and depth of the spade. No^ 

 place two cuttings close up to the bank, two inclu 

 apart, one on each side of the marking-stick, an 

 deep enough to leave one bud half an inch abo\ 

 ground. Now fill the hole with nice, fine eartl 

 (decomposed leaf-mold from the woods, with on< 

 fourth clean, sharp lake or river sand, is the bef 

 that can be had for the purpose of planting eitlu 

 the cuttings or plants in,) press it firmly up to th 

 cuttings, and make it smooth on top. Give or 

 good soaking with water, to settle the earth to 11: 

 cuttings. As soon as bright sunny days begin t 

 set in, it will be better to shade the cuttings b 

 sprinkling over them a few loose straAvs, short gra: 

 or hay, to protect them from the scorching rays c 

 the sun. Should there be continued hot, dr 

 weather, they may require a second or third wate) 

 ing ; but when watered, give them a good soakiuj 

 that will soak to their very bottoms. 



Fig. 7 represents the cuttings as they appe.' 

 when placed up to the little bank left by the spadi 

 a shows an imperfect 

 cutting, made from pithy 

 and unripened wood ; h ^ 



is a good cutting, made v 



of well-ri[)ened, solid 



wood, with a piece of 



two-year-old wood at its "= ^jgj 

 base. There should al- 

 ways be two cuttingis 

 planted at a stake. If 

 both grow, one must be 

 cut away, or carefully 

 taken away without in- 

 jury to its roots, for the 



purpose of filling up any yw. 7. 



place where both may have died. 



If good, healthy, one or two-year-old read} 

 rooted vines are used, there will be one year savet 

 at least, with the additional advantage of havin 

 them all grow alile all over the vineyard. But i 

 the rooted vines cost more money than the cutting: 

 some may object to the extra expense, and think 

 preferable to purchase the cuttings, and either plar 

 them at once in the vineyard, as advised, or in 

 nursery-bed, and prepare their own plants a yea 

 beforehand. So it would be, if the planter wei 

 sure that all his cuttings would grow ; but as it 

 very diflicultsomc seasons, for an unpracticed banc 

 to make cuttings grow, I do not think, taking int 

 consideration the vexation of losing some of th 

 cuttings, and the loss ot time, there would be muc 

 saved. If plants are chosen, there are none bette 



