BUDDING ON THE VINE. 41 



with the object of changing- the variety. Let us study these 

 different modes of grafting and the results obtainable with 

 them. 



Arrangement of Mother-vines. All the shoots of American 

 graft-bearers may be readily budded that is to say, that- 

 one can place on a vigorous shoot from ten to twenty buds, 

 and obtain the next season from one single mother- vine 100 

 to 150 vine cuttings 10 inches in length, each bearing a 

 dormant eye perfectly knitted. Experience has shown that, 

 to obtain these results, it is necessary to arrange the stocks 

 in the following manner : 



1st. Erect over the line of stocks, stakes 6 to 10 feet high 

 and 9 to 15 feet apart, according to whether there is more 

 or less wind in the district. 



2nd. Fix upon these stakes four rows of galvanized wire, 

 Nos. 14 or 13 at least, the first being 16 inches above the 

 ground, and the three others 20 inches apart ; stretch these 

 wires with large Walker's patent wire strainers, No. 2. 



3/r/. As soon as the buds of the mother plant are about 

 20 inches in length, preserve eight to twelve of the most 

 vigorous of these in the best positions and disbud all the 

 others. 



t/t. A week to a fortnight after this disbudding, when 

 the bases of the shoot begin to harden, tie them up to the 

 wires, so that after the operation each mother-plant has 

 the shape of a V, or open fan. All axillary buds must be 

 removed, as well as all the tendrils. This should be done 

 at each tying up, which must be repeated at least three 

 times before the 20th of July.* One must endeavour not to 

 injure the principal leaves, which, as we know, play a very 

 great part in the nutrition of the plant and the formation of 

 its cambium. It is necessary to tie up the shoots of even 

 number stocks on one side of the wire, and odd numbers on 

 the opposite side. By doing so, the shoots are prevented 

 from getting entangled ; this greatly facilitates the budding 

 operation, and more especially the gathering, of the cuttings, 

 the buds of which are very easily injured. The reader may 

 think that such an installation, and the operations which it 

 necessitates, are rather fanciful and costly. 



The erection of these trellises cost 9s. 6d. per 100 

 yards. This amount is not wasted, as the canes become 

 well lignified, and the number of buds knitted is greater as 



* Middle of January in Victoria. 



