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BENCH-GRAFTING EESISTANT VINES. 229 



treDches. A thorough ploughing and harrowing were given 

 the hard soil between the rows in order to prevent excessive 

 evaporation. 



The nursery received but little care after the grafts had 

 been planted. The soil received the same cultivation as that 

 of the neighbouring vineyard, was weeded once, and the 

 grafts were irrigated in July. 



Removal of scion-roots and suckers from the stock. 

 About the middle of July the earth was carefully removed 

 by means of a shovel, and then the sand was taken away 

 from the unions, partly by means of a trowel, partly with 

 the hands, as circumstances required. The smallest rootlets 

 were still soft, and could be rubbed off by the hand; the 

 older and firmer roots had to be cut with a sharp knife. 

 Great care was taken not to disturb the unions of the grafts, 

 as they were still very brittle. 



Few suckers were found, as the eyes of the stock had 

 been carefully cut out before grafting. In cases where the 

 suckers came from the deepest eye, it was found necessary 

 to dig down to the base of the whole graft in order to cut the 

 shoot at its base as well as to properly remove the dormant 

 eyes. The removal of roots was done without injury to the 

 grafts, as they were covered up before they had a chance to 

 dry out, and the soil was irrigated immediately after ; so 

 that the grafts looked as fresh as ever the next morning. 



The soil was found dry to a depth of from 5 to 6 inches, 

 but the soil below this had preserved sufficient moisture to 

 keep the unions of the graft from drying, as they were all in 

 the moist region. The sand on the surface became very 

 much heated in the middle of the day, which may account 

 for the many tender young shoots and leaves which were 

 found dry and withered. The second eye at the base of the 

 scion had in most of these eases developed new shoots, so 

 that the injury done was only in retarding the vegetation of 

 the burnt plants. 



A thorough irrigation was found necessary at this time in 

 order to prevent injury from the drought and heat of 

 summer. The water was run in little ditches about 1 foot 

 from the grafts, and so applied that the soil around the 

 unions was never thoroughly water-soaked, which experience 

 has shown to be deleterious t ) the graft. The soil was cul- 

 tivated as soon as dry enough after irrigation. The raffia in 

 many cases was rotten already. 



