66 *• GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 



more successful tLan when cut at several joints above; 

 and in many cases, as in the quince for example, an inch 

 or tv7o of the old wood left attached to the base of the cut- 

 ting, as in fig. 58, renders it still more certain of success. 

 The more buds we can get around the base of a cutting, 

 the better, other things being equal ; for these buds, as soon 

 as thev become active, send down new matter, from which 

 the roots are emitted. 



Cuttings of the grape are sometimes made of a single 

 eye (fig. 59), with an inch or so of wood above and be- 

 low it. 



The tiine to mal'e cuttings is in the fal], as soon as the 

 wood is ripe, and through the early winter months. It 

 should not be deferred later than January. The soil for 

 cuttings is of the greatest importance to their success, for 

 if, on the one hand, it be cold, damp, and compact, they 

 will decay, and if too loose and sandy, they will dry up 

 for the want of suflicient moisture. A soil so mellow that 

 it cannot bake, and yet so comj^act as to retain humidity 

 enough to support the cuttings, until new roots are formed, 

 seems to be absolutely necessary — such a soil as we may 

 suppose a good garden border to be composed of. Rooted 

 plants can endure extremes, but cuttings require the most 

 favorable circumstances. 



Time to Plant. — ^The fall would be the better season to 

 plant all cuttings, if we could cover them so as to j)revent 

 the frost from heaving them out. It is on account of this 

 difficulty that we plant, from necessity, in the spring ; but 

 spring planting must be done very early, that vegetation 

 may proceed gradually. If late planted, warm weather 

 comes on them at once, before they have formed roots 

 sufficient to support the demands of the young leaves. 

 Where only a few are grown, shading might, at certain 

 times, be given, and some light substance, like saw dust, 



