PLANTING THE VINE. 115 



when the soil is soaked with water ; for in that condition 

 it can not be readily divided so as to be made to inter- 

 mingle with the roots. Nor will it do to plant when 

 the soil is parched and dry ; but it should be in that 

 moist and friable condition which allows it to be easily 

 worked. 



Root Pruning. However carefully vines are taken 

 up from, the nursery, the ends of a greater portion of 

 the roots will be broken off. These should be cut 

 smoothly before planting. It is also beneficial to shorten 

 the roots considerably, especially if they are long and 

 destitute of branching fibers. Two. feet is long enough 

 to leave any root upon a two or three-year-old vine ; 

 longer ones should be cut off, not only to render them 

 more convenient for planting, but to incite the main 

 roots to throw out new ones from their ends, as well us 

 from their sides. The soil will thereby become filled 

 with feeding roots, instead of a few long naked ones, 

 that have no power of absorbing food except through 

 the small fibers which exist only at their extreme ends. 

 The soil within the radius occupied by these long roots 

 is useless, so far as furnishing nutriment is concerned, 

 because they are not capable of absorbing it. It will 

 often be necessary to shorten the roots to less than two 

 feet, and it is best to cut off a portion of the ends, no 

 matter what their length may be. For it is not the 

 length or number of roots that determines the quality of 

 the vine, but their condition. If long, soft, spongy and 

 unripened wood and roots are left upon the vine, they 

 are of but little benefit to it, at best, and they will often 

 die, and in their decay communicate disease to the other 

 and more healthy portions of the plant. This is partic- 

 ularly the case with layers their roots being produced 

 late in the season, they are seldom ripened to their full 

 length ; hence the necessity for severely shortening their 

 roots. And here, I believe, is the chief cause of so 



