PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 241 



a moist cellar to sweat. After having- pressed ynur buds into the moss 

 in a slanting position, in rows three inches apart, and half an inch in 

 the rows, cover up evenly with fine sand, and place a common hot-bed 

 sash over them. They must be kept moist and given air freely, or they 

 will damp off. An immense number of plants can thus be grown from 

 a few vines, and in a small space. But they need close attention, and will, 

 at the best, only make weak plants the first year." 



It is to be remarked on this that horticulturists all agree that as good 

 plants can be raised from eyes as from laj'crs if the wood is ripe, and if 

 they have time. 



FOURTH, BY GRAFTING. 



Many have been very successful in grafting upon grape-roots; others 

 have not succeeded. The difficulty seems to be as to what time between 

 fall and winter is best. But I think it may be said that whenever the sap 

 is the most dormant is the proper time. Mr. Coleman has succeeded in 

 almost any manner of grafting, frequently not tying; he grafts at the 

 collar of the root, and then draws the earth around the graft. He makes a 

 wedge of the root, and then slits the graft, thus inverting the method of 

 common grafting. People should try grafting good Delaware Avood on the 

 Catawbas where they rot. They are reported to grow finely, and to bear soon. 



Mr. Williamson gave me what they are trying to keep a secretin Cincin- 

 nati — that is: a new method of grafting. If it is a secret, I am glad I 

 hereby cause it to cease to be one. It seems to me of the highest import- 

 ance. This is it: Just as the bud begins to push out in the spring he takes 

 a good vine of last year's wood, and splits it next to every joint, but per- 

 haps so as not to open it, and inserts a wedge graft of any vine he chooses. 

 He has the wedge thicker on one side than on the other; the graft has two 

 eyes; then he covers from six to eight inches deep, and covers up the graft 

 so deep that the upper bud is an inch below the surface. If the top bud 

 were uncovered, as is the case with cuttings, the warm weather would 

 swell the bud before the graft could knit, leaves would put out, and finally, 

 for want of support from below, the graft would die. Cuttings fur this last 

 reason also should have the top bud covered, that there might be a sure 

 growth. 



Now there comes a very important consideration with regard to Norton's 

 Virginia and Mead's seedling, which will not grow from cuttings; graft the 

 cuttings, will they not grow if treated in this manner? At any rate, 

 between this method and of the grafting they and all other varieties rap- 

 idly can be propagated. I submit whether Mr. Williamson's secret is not 

 the most important one we have had, in regard to grapes, for a long time. 

 But it must be proved. 



THE KINDS OF GRAPES BEST TO RAISE. 



I am not going to trouble the reader witli a long list of sorts. The ques- 

 tion is, which ones, over the largest extent of country', are giving most sat- 

 isfaction ? From every quarter I hear nothing but praise of the Concord, 

 both as a table and wine grape. Next comes the Hartford Prolific. 

 Neither is of the first quality, but people want grapes. Norton's Virginia, 

 over in Missouri, as a wine grape is superior to cither. There are several 



[Am. Inst.J (^ 



