F. RUBENS UPON THE VINE AND ITS TREATMENT. 



OAO 



rig 5. vine will be promoted 



if the vine, where it is 

 covered with ground, 

 is twisted like a wil- 

 low (.%. 5). This lay- 

 er will grow excellent- 

 ly during the summer, 

 and produce an abun- 

 dance of fruit. 

 Another plan to pro- 

 duce layers on every place required is attained through a method 

 Fig. 6. used on the Ehine {Fig. 6). 



Little baskets, of oval form, 

 one and a half foot long, one 

 foot high and broad, are used 

 for this purpose. In spring 

 this basket is placed about 

 one foot from the old vine, 

 deep enough to cover it. The 

 intended layer is led through 

 this basket, and allowed to 

 have two buds above the 

 ground, which are well taken 

 care of during the summer. 

 If it is intended to remove 

 this layer, it is separated from 

 the mother plant, and taken 

 out with the basket and placed 

 in the intended place. Eoot- 

 ed vines produced in such a 

 manner are much to be preferred, as they bear fruit one year aft- 

 er planting. 



Another method is by leading a vine through a flower-pot 

 which is filled with rich soil. If the soil is kept moist during the 

 summer the vine will throw out beautiful roots. In autumn, when 

 the grapes are ripe, the vine below the flower-pot is cut from the 

 mother vine, the pot carefully taken oft', and this shoot transplant- 

 ed. To promote the formation of roots, the vine may receive a 

 cut immediately below a joint, and then be split up a couple of 

 inches, whicb split may be kept open by a little wedge. 



Improvement of the Grape-vine. 



There are different ways of improving the vine. The grafting 

 may be above the soil or below. To graft upon the trunk of the 

 vine, under the soil, is the method chiefly in use in Hungary. The 

 method is the following: The vine tp be grafted is early in the 

 spring laid bare and freed of the fine top roots. Three inches 

 above the main roots the trunk is cut off with a saw about six 



