74 



MANUAL OF MODERN VITICULTURE. 



strike is a complication ; in most cases the required moisture 

 is only found at a certain depth in the soil, and therefore we 

 must make the cutting a greater length than seems pre- 

 ferable at first. 



The drier the soil the longer the cutting should be.* 

 Their length generally varies between 10 and 14 inches. 



One or two buds only are 

 left above the surface of the 

 ground. 



The use of single-eye cut- 

 tings, or herbaceous cuttings, 

 has also been recommended, 



j ; the former being sown with 



drills and covered with an 

 inch or so of soil. This 

 method is also used to strike 

 rare varieties under glass ; 

 but, unfortunately, the ce'- 

 pages, which, on account of 

 their great value only, allow 

 the expense of glass frames, 

 do not, even with this 

 method, give a satisfactory 

 percentage of strikes. As 

 for herbaceous cuttings, it 

 can only be practically done 

 with suckers taken off the 

 grafts, planted in light soil, 

 watered, and shaded. They 

 strike easily, but never give 

 such strong plants, and 

 their wood is never well 

 lignified.t 



Therefore, in many cases 

 we are forced to use any 

 part of a shoot (Fig. 37). We will now study the means 

 of promoting their root-growth. 



Fig. 35. 



Young plant of average vigour obtained from 

 a one-eye cutting of V. Vinifera. 



* If the soil is very dry, it is better to root the cuttings in the nursery the year before, 

 and plant them out as rootlings. The inconvenience resulting from the use of long cuttings 

 is thus avoided. 



t The Duchess of Fitz-Janies obtained excellent results with this method, using hot- 

 houses established for the purpose. 



