GRAFTING THE GEAPE. 73 



in early spring. At the close or tnt; season, or as soon 

 as the two vines have become united, or grown together, 

 the inarched vine may be severed just below the point of 

 union, and the stock treated as usual with the ordinary 

 splice or cleft-grafted vines. 



Herbaceous Grafting. This term is applied to 

 the various methods of grafting vines while they are in a 

 green, or growing condition, but it is seldom practiced 

 in the vineyard or open air. Vines grown under glass 

 in a close, warm and moist atmosphere may be grafted 

 quite successfully by this mode, but in the open it is 

 quite different, and I doubt very much if ft can be prac- 

 ticed with any degree of success, although a few cions 

 may occasionally be made to grow if kept shaded and 

 freely sprinkled with water. 



Grafting Machines. The French vineyardists 

 seem to have a fondness for inventing machines for 

 grafting the grape and other ligneous plants, besides 

 various forms of gauges, chisqls, knives and other imple- 

 ments. Most of these machines are for inside work, and 

 of no special value for facilitating grafting in the vine- 

 yard. The best thing of the kind that I have seen and 

 tried is the "Wagner" saw and knife, an American 

 invention which has been on sale for some fifteen or 

 more years. It consists of two small saw blades set in a 

 handle, these being used to saw a cleft in the severed 

 stock of about the right width to receive the cion. 

 Another part of the machine is made with two thin knife 

 blades affixed to a lever, and with these the cion is cut 

 or shaved to the requisite size to fit the cleft made with 

 the saw in the stock. It is quite an ingenious contriv- 

 ance, and practical withal, but I prefer a good sharp 

 knife, chisel and wedge, to this or any other grafting ma- 

 chine that I have, as yet, used or seen described. 



