128 MANUAL OF MODERN VITICULTURE. 



provided with matters necessary to the first development 

 of the plant. We must only freshen the roots, that is to 

 say, cut the bruised 'extremities away. The plants are 

 then placed against the side of the hole on the line left 

 "by the rod, the roots spread at the bottom and covered 

 with mellowed soil slightly rammed, finishing by filling 

 the rest of the soil loosely. 



We have already indicated the most favorable time for 

 planting cuttings when studying propagation by cuttings. 

 It is better in the case of rootlings to plant them before the 

 end of winter, except in very damp and cold soil, to allow 

 the earth to settle in the hole before vegetation starts. 



4TH. CARE TO BE GIVEN TO NEW VINEYARDS. 



Frequent ploughing, to keep the surface free from weeds 

 and retain the moisture, must be done during the summer 

 following planting. These operations may be done with 

 hoes or vine scarifiers, and should be completed by hand round 

 the young plants. One must be careful not to shake the 

 young vines which have begun to root. A small stake is 

 often placed near each vine to protect it, or at least at the 

 end of the lines which are more exposed when the teams are 

 turning. At other times five or six buds are left, disbudding 

 the three top ones. This helps at the beginning to show the 

 place occupied by each vine. 



The following winter the soil is ploughed away from the 

 vines and the suckers pruned off, "misses" or "weaklings" 

 -are replaced with rootlings planted in the nursery for that pur- 

 pose. The pruning must be done as late as possible on account 

 of the natural tendency of young plants to make an early 

 growth ; if the top bud develops vigorously it is cut back to 

 two or three eyes and the shoot borne from the bottom bud 

 removed. If, on the contrary, the top bud does not grow, or 

 is weak, the bottom bud is cut to the required height for the 

 establishment of the crown. A large number of eyes must 

 be left on the young plants to force them to grow many 

 shoots. This prevents them from reaching a large individual 

 development and from getting broken by wind in spring. 

 Finally, the soil is rolled up round the young plant, which 

 is secured to a stake to prevent the wind from breaking it. 



The following years the same operations are performed, 

 with the only differences resulting from the degree of rusticity 

 which increases every year. 



