80 CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



GRAFTING. 



This art is very ancient, being mentioned by Columella 

 as long in use. Other ancient authors give detailed 

 directions on the subject. However easily the vine may 

 be propagated by the methods previously described, there 

 are instances when grafting would be extremely advan- 

 tageous. A vineyard may be composed of inferior varie- 

 ties. It would be a great gain if choice kinds could be 

 substituted by grafting, a gain of at least three years 

 in time. It would much reduce the cost of experiment- 

 ing with seedling grapes if those which prove inferior 

 could at once be used as stocks for grafting. In this way 

 also, the wood of new kinds can be more rapidly in- 

 creased than in any other manner. In " The Country Gen- 

 tleman," Mr. E. A. King states the actual measurement of 

 the growth of a Delaware, three months after grafting 

 in a three-years'-old stock, to be sixty-nine feet. Of 

 course, this included lateral growth. The method usually 

 recommended by authors is cleft or wedge grafting, 

 sawing off the vine two inches below the surface. The 

 time recommended is different, some giving the prefer- 

 ence to March, just before the sap begins to flow ; others 



