CUTTINGS OF UNRIPE WOOD. 37 



CHAPTER IV. 



CUTTINGS OF UNRIPE WOOD. 



ALTHOUGH the grape vine may be readily propagated 

 by cuttings taken from the vine while in active growth, 

 circumstances seldom occur when it is judicious to do so. 

 Unless more than ordinary care is bestowed upon the 

 young vines throughout the entire season, they will not 

 only be feeble, but often so diseased that they never be- 

 come strong and healthy, though at first they may give 

 promise of being so. 



Thousands of vines are annually produced from green 

 cuttings, but it is questionable whether the country would 

 not be better off, on the whole, without such vines than 

 with them. 



That good, strong, and healthy vines are sometimes 

 produced from green cuttings, I admit, but also assert that 

 the great majority are worthless. The facility with which 

 vines may be multiplied in this way is a great inducement, 

 to those who are disseminating the new and rare varieties, 

 to use it. It requires no more skill than propagating from 

 single buds ; all that is requisite is to have a propagating 

 house (or even a hot-bed will do), where a steady and uni- 

 form high degree of heat can be maintained. 



The mode of operation is as follows : Place the vines, 

 from which you desire to propagate, in pots, or plant them in 

 the ground within the propagating house, and make the soil 

 in which they are planted very rich, so that they shall not 

 want for food. When the vines have made a new growth 

 of a foot or so, take off the young shoots, or a portion of 

 each ; do not cut back all the shoots at one time, as this 



