7 2 THE GRAPE CULTUKIST. 



these dead and decaying roots will have a tendency to 

 convey disease to the whole plant. 



The time generally selected for grafting the vine is 

 early in spring, before the vine starts, or after it has 

 started and made a growth of a few inches, both o 

 which I have found highly objectionable ; for if grafted 

 early, the operation must be performed several weeks 

 before the vine starts, so as to allow the graft sufficient 

 time to form a union with the stock before the latter 

 starts, or else the excessive flow of sap will drown the 

 graft. This early grafting is very difficult in a northern 

 latitude, where the ground thaws out only a very few 

 days before the sap begins to flow. But many practical 

 and successful vineyardists graft their vines in late 

 spring, or after the vines have made a growth of a few 

 inches ; but the wood used for the cions is cut in win- 

 ter and stored in a cold and moist place until wanted. 

 These dormant cions are inserted in the crown of the 

 stock at or just below the surface of the ground, all of 

 which only goes to show that success in grafting the 

 vine depends as much upon the skill of the man who 

 performs the operation as in the manner and time of 

 doing it. 



Inarching Vines. This method of grafting differs 

 only from the former in the manner of manipulation. 

 It is not often practiced wii^ vines, but maybe when- 

 ever desirable, as. for instance, when other methods 

 have failed. The vine to be multiplied by this process 

 should be either planted out, near the vine to be used as 

 a stock, or grown in a pot, and plunged in the ground 

 near it when ready to perform the operation, which con- 

 sists in cutting the bark and a thin slice of wood from 

 the two canes to be united, and then bring the face of 

 the two wounds together and bind firmly with bass or 

 common twine. The inarching may be done in summer 

 while the vines are growing, or when both are dormant 



