THE GRAPE. 403 



Spade next to a line, nearly perpendicular on one side and 

 sloping on the other. The cuttings are placed upright 

 against the steep side, about three inches apart, so that 

 the upper bud shall be about an inch below the level sur- 

 face. Fill the trench to the upper bud by adding suc- 

 cessive portions, dressing each firmly with the foot, but 

 leaving the soil more loose and mellow above. Afler 

 the shoots have grown a few inches the surface may be 

 levelled by burying the upper bud an inch beneath it. Some 

 cultivators are more successful by covering the surface with 

 an inch or two of fine manure for the retention of moisture in 

 the soil. Roots will be emitted from both buds, and hand- 

 somer plants will be formed by cutting off the lower part, 

 leaving the roots of the upper bud only to remain. 



Propagation from Single Buds. — The various modes of 

 propagating the vine from single buds admit the rapid multi- 

 plying of numbers required for work on a large scale ; but arti- 

 ficial heat is always necessary, either on a small scale in hot- 

 beds, or more extensively in propagating-houses. 



Good, strong, well-ripened wood of one year's growth must 

 be cut in autumn, and secured for winter as already described. 

 The work of forming or planting the buds or eyes is usually 

 done in March; and being inserted through the month by 

 successive portions, the work of repotting and afterward set- 

 ting out into open ground, may be also performed successively 

 without crowding all the work into one period. It should not 

 be done much later than early in April, when warm weather 

 without may prevent the operator from giving the low tem- 

 perature to the house required for the leaves and shoots dur- 

 ing the early stages of growth. 



The operation should be commenced by. trimming the wood 

 which holds the eyes into proper form — throwing them into 

 water to prevent drying, until enough are prepared for setting 

 in the beds or pots. Different modes or forms are adopted for 

 these cuttings. One of the best for general practice is repre- 

 sented in Fig. 549, the cut being about two and a half inches 

 long, with the bud at the upper end about a fourth of an inch 

 from the top. 



When hot-beds are employed in giving bottom heat, the cut- 

 tings are usually placed in pots; but in the more common 



