90 Vineyard Culture. 



the surface ; make it wedge-shaped ; avoid wounding the pith; 

 remove the bark from the part to be inserted ; see that it fits 

 the split correctly, and matches the stock exactly on either 

 side ; then withdraw the wedge, and if the work is properly 

 done the graft will be held firmly in its place without tying ; 

 use no wax. Press the moist earth closely to the stock and 

 graft, and fill up so as to have one bud above the surface." 



If there be danger of frost, he recommends covering with 

 straw, to prevent its heaving and lifting the graft. After- 

 ward remove the covering, cultivate well ; remove suckers, 

 and tie uprthe young shoot as it grows. 



Mr. Stayman concludes by saying that the conditions of 

 success are good materials, grafting below the surface, within 

 the period mentioned, and doing the work well.] 



CHOICE OF PLANTS FOR PROPAGATION. The choice 

 of plants, of which to make cuttings, layers, or grafts, is 

 a very important point. If taken at random, plants may 

 be selected which have a tendency to degenerate. We 

 have seen, on the stock of the black Pinot, a shoot, all 

 the bunches of which were accidentally white. This 

 shoot, if cut for propagation, would have continued to 

 yield white grapes, and thus constituted a new variety, 

 perhaps better, but more frequently worse, than the one 

 it originated from. In order to avoid degeneracy, which 

 is more common than is usually supposed, it would be 

 well, when propagation is intended, to go over the vine- 

 yard during harvest time. Those plants which bear 

 the earliest and most perfect bunches which, in fact, 

 possess in the highest degree those qualities which dis- 

 tinguish the varieties to be cultivated are then marked, 

 so as to be known again. Those are the plants of 

 which to make cuttings, layers or grafts. By selecting 



