FRUITS AND FLOWERS. 311 



plants of one year, are better on the whole, as they are more 

 easily planted, and brought into such shape as the cultivator 

 may desire. 



My own practice is, to plant one year old vines which have 

 abundant roots, not caring for the top, which in all cases I cut 

 down to two eyes. Spread the roots out carefully, laying 

 them straight, taking care that they do not cross each other ; 

 let the roots be six inches under the surface, but let the crown 

 of the plant be within two inches of the surface of the ground, 

 leaving the earth about the vine a little higher than the 

 adjacent grounds, so that water may not stand about the 

 plant ; this is especially necessary where there is a retentive 

 subsoil. 



As to planting in the autumn or spring, I think if the soil be 

 dry, the autumn is the best season, as the roots get established 

 in the soil, usually making fibres from the main roots during 

 the first two or three weeks after planting, and they are thus 

 prepared to start early in the spring, getting a good growth 

 before they are pinched by the heat and drought of midsum- 

 mer ; this is a great gain in such soils ; but if the soil be heavy 

 and liable to heave with the winter frost, or if water stand upon 

 it in the winter and spring, then I should prefer the latter sea- 

 son, when the advancing warmth promotes the formation of the 

 fibrous roots ; and the plant having the whole summer to estab- 

 lish itself, is much more likely to go through the ensuing winter 

 without harm. It is always good husbandry to put an inch or 

 two of leaf mould or chip dirt, about the plants the first winter 

 after planting, to prevent the heaving by frost. After the first 

 winter they are safe. 



I have found in my experience that the native vine requires 

 much more room than is usually allowed in vineyard culture. 

 The directions copied from foreign books, although they may 

 be well adapted to the foreign grape, will certainly mislead the 

 cultivator who applies them to our native varieties, some of 

 which make shoots twelve or fifteen feet long in a season. 



Buchanan, in his treatise on grape culture, says : " For steep 

 hill-sides, 3|- feet by 4i, or 3 feet by 5, may answer, but for 

 gentle slopes, 3|^ feet by 6, is close enough, and for level land, 

 4 feet by 7." I think the cultivator will find 6 feet by 8 near 

 enough, or if his space is limited, and he desires to realize an 



