CUTTINGS OF UNRIPE WOOD. 39 



inner pot, which is to be filled with water ; enough of 

 this will percolate through the pot (if it is of the or- 

 dinary kind) to keep the sand sufficiently moist. This 

 is a safe mode, and will often be successful when all 

 others fail. The pots are to be kept within the frames 

 until the cuttings are rooted, the same as before. Fig. 

 11 shows the arrangement of 

 the pots ;/,/,/ are the cut- 

 tings ; c, c, sand between the 

 pots ; d, water in inside pot ; 

 , clay with which the hole in 

 the bottom of the pot is closed ; 

 #, drainage in the outside pot. 



The wood of which the 

 cuttings are made must not be 

 too young or too old, but must no. n. 



be taken just at the proper time ; that is, when it begins 

 to show a slight firmness, but is not really hard nor fully 

 formed. If the growth of wood is very rapid, it is well 

 to check it by pinching off the end of the shoot a day or 

 two before it is wanted for use. After one set of cut- 

 tings has been taken off, another set will soon push out ; 

 these are to be removed when three or four inches long, 

 cutting them close up to the main stem, so as to preserve 

 a portion of the enlarged part at the junction ; also cut 

 off an inch or so of the small end of the shoots ; these 

 will usually grow more readily than those taken at first. 



The young growing wood from vines in the open air 

 may be used, but it does not strike root so readily, or 

 make as good plants as that from vines grown under 

 glass. All the varieties of the grape may be grown from 

 green cuttings, but some root more readily than others, 

 and there will also be a great difference in growth of the 

 plants, some starting vigorously and continuing so 

 through the season, while others, under the same treat- 

 ment, will be but poor, feeble plants at the best. 



