Propagation of the Vine, 73 



When the nursery is to be of considerable extent, it 

 will be well to divide it into beds four feet six inches, 

 to six feet six inches in width, and separated from each 

 other by alleys one foot six inches wide, running into 

 roads about three feet wide, if the nursery is to be very 

 extensive. The whole operation is finished by a light 

 hoeing of the entire surface of the beds, in order to su- 

 perficially loosen the soil trodden down by the feet. 



Cultivation of the Nursery. — About the beginning of 

 May, it will be well to hoe the soil a second time, and, 

 if it be of a dry character, to cover the entire surface 

 of the beds with a layer of straw, or dried leaves, or 

 any such substance, to the depth of two inches, so as 

 to prevent it from caking, under the action of the rain, 

 to oppose the growth of hurtful plants, and, especially, 

 to prevent the earth from drying up during the heats of 

 summer. If the soil is a little clayey, a few hoeings 

 during the season, will produce these results. These 

 dressings may be done by hand, if the nursery is small ; 

 if one acre and a half, or more, it will be cheaper to 

 harrow it. In this case, it will be unnecessary to have 

 alleys, and the trenches must be made in the direction 

 of the greatest length of the nursery. If this nursery be 

 located in a southern latitude, it will not be sufficient 

 to hoe and cover up the soil, — it will also be necessary 

 to water it, to some extent, in the very hot weather. 



The shoots must be allowed to grow freely during 

 the first summer ; all the pruning or cutting which 

 could be done would only injure the roots. 



In the fall, the young plants will appear as in Figure 

 7. These are called roots. They are sometimes 

 8 



