90 



ultimately produce as good a vine, although, perhaps, less liable to 

 strike at first. 



The piece of old wood at the base of these cuttings should be 

 removed before planting, as it is incapable of giving rise to roots. 

 Care should be taken not to injure the above-mentioned ring of buds 

 when doing so. 



a 



Fig, 12. 



Fig. \2a represents an ordinary cutting; Fig. 125 one with a piece 

 of old wood at its base; and Fig. 12c the same, with the old wood 

 removed, all but the strip of bark which is in contact with the above- 

 mentioned buds. 



Medium-sized, short-jointed cuttings give far better results than 

 either very thick ones or thin, slender, and long-jointed ones. The 

 wood must be well ripened, that is, it should have its regular winter 

 appearance, and no trace of green at the extremities of the shoots. 

 It must also be free from diseases of any kind, more especially 

 anthracnosis or black spot. Cuttings which have been attacked by 

 oidium, and which have brown or black marks on them in conse- 

 quence, are not to be recommended as a rule, although if the injuries 

 are only on the surface of the bark, and do not extend into the green 

 part or cambium layer, no ill effects may result from their employment. 



The length of cuttings has given rise to much discussion. It 

 may be said, in a general way, that the shorter it is the better will the 

 resulting, vine be, as the more similar will the conditions be to those 

 of a vine grown in the natural way, which is from seed. In the wild 

 state the seed would doubtless germinate very near the ground, and 

 send down roots penetrating the soil in all directions. The portion of 

 stem of such a vine below ground would be exceedingly short. The 

 more the cultivated vine resembles the wild one the more favorable 



