MY VINEYARD. 79 



in the same manner as for layering ; only instead of a 

 notch on the upper side of the cane, make a slit directly 

 through the center of the cane from top to bottom. The 

 slit may be about an inch in length. Select good strong 

 cions, which should have two buds upon them. From the 

 lower bud downwards, and flat-ways with the bud, make 

 the cion wedge shape, say two inches in length. Cut 

 the cion off, about two inches above the upper bud. Now 

 take the cion and insert it into the slit, up to the lower 

 bud. The hole may now be filled with soil, leaving the 

 upper bud just above the surface. When the cion has 

 commenced to grow, the stock may be cut off at the sur- 

 face of the ground beyond the graft. Roots will soon be 

 thrown out from the cion, at its junction with the stock. 

 The grafting may be performed in the spring, just after 

 the sap has commenced to flow. If the cions have been 

 kept in the cellar, and are dormant at the time of inser- 

 tion, so much the better. 



This is, in reality, a modification of the method of 

 propagating by cuttings. But many varieties, which can 

 not be increased by ordinary cuttings, may be easily in- 

 creased by the method just described. Tlie reason is, 

 that the cutting is supplied with abundance of food, the 

 sap of the stock, to grow upon until it has thrown out 

 roots of its own. 



The ancients were very skillful in grafting the vine, and 

 employed it, very extensively as a means of propagation. 



