CHAPTER XIII. 



PLANTING THE VINE. 



There seems to be as great a diversity of opinion 

 among vineyardists in regard to the best time to plant, 

 as there is upon the various details connected with plant- 

 ing. My own rule is to plant vines in the fall, when- 

 ever circumstances will permit me to do so ; but if it is 

 not convenient to plant at that time, then I do the next 

 best thing that is, plant them so soon in the spring as 

 the soil is in a condition to permit of it. I prefer plant- 

 ing in the fall, because the soil becomes settled about 

 their roots, and all wounds made upon them in the 

 process of transplanting will, in a grent measure, become 

 healed, and very often new roots will issr.e before the 

 ground would permit of the vines being planted in the 

 spring. Thus they become all ready to commence groAV- 

 ing as soon as the frost is out of the ground. 



The buds will commence swelling at the first ap- 

 proach of warm weather, and they are then very brittle 

 and liable to be broken off. 



I think, as a general thing, vines planted in the 

 fall will make at least one- third more growth the first 

 season than when planted in spring. In very cold local- 

 ities, or in soils that are naturally tenacious and heavy, 

 spring planting is, perhaps, preferable to fall. But it 

 should be a maxim with the vineyardist, " never put off 

 until another season that which may be safely done in 

 the present." 



The condition of the soil must, in part, govern us 

 in this operation, for it will not do to plant the vines 



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