296 Planting Vines. 
hole and refilling with fine surface earth, just as advised in 
Chapter XI, for planting orchard trees, is commended as the 
safest practise. Much, however, depends upon the soil. In 
loose, free soil such a use of bar or “sheep’s-foot” as will be pres- 
ently described may be satisfactory, while it would be imprac- 
ticable on firmer soils, both because of the difficulty of insertion 
and because the packed condition caused by the forcing in would 
not favor root extension, and not desirable on shallow soils be- 
cause the contact of the better surface soil with the bottom of 
the cutting will stimulate the growth of the cutting, and is, 
therefore, very desirable. ‘The planting by direct thrust is ob- 
viously impracticable when horizontal planting of a long cut- 
ting is desired, as will be described later. 
The post-hole auger and a device for taking out soil as a 
“trier” takes out a sample of cheese or butter, have also been 
used to some extent, but not widely, in making holes for cuttings. 
Planting Bar and Sheep’s-foot—The following methods, de- 
scribed by Dr. Gustav Eisen as prevailing in the raisin districts 
of the San Joaquin Valley, on sandy, loamy soils, will well il- 
lustrate similar methods wherever followed:— 
The planting bar consists of a bar of hard iron, sharpened at the lower 
end and furnished with a cross-handle at the other. The length of the bar 
is about three and a half feet, width about two and a half inches, and thick- 
ness a third to half an inch. If less than this the bar will bend. The 
planting is done by pushing the bar perpendicularly in the ground. After 
withdrawing it, insert the cutting and push it down to the bottom. Fill up 
the hole by again inserting the bar in the ground close by and pressing the 
flat side against the hole. 
The sheep’s-foot consists of a round rod with cross-handle at the upper 
end. The lower end of the rod is slightly flattened, bent, and forked. The 
planting is done by fitting the forked end over the butt-end bud of the cut- 
ting, and immediately pushing cutting and rod together to the desired depth 
in the soil. A slight twist is now given to the sheep’s-foot. This loosens 
it from the cutting and allows it to be withdrawn. A tamp with the foot 
fills the hole. Great care must be taken in withdrawing the sheep’s-foot, 
lest in doing so the cutting should be drawn out also, and this will leave a 
fatal air chamber at the lower end. The slight twist given the rod before 
withdrawing loosens it and leaves the cutting undisturbed. 
For planting in dry situations some careful planters run 
water and fine earth into the hole made by the bar after insert- 
ing the cutting; others run in fine sand dry and then pour on 
water. In using water in this way one must take care that he 
does not use adobe earth, for a succeeding dry spell may bake it, 
and the cutting will be worse off than if not puddled. 
Planting Long Cuttings—Where the long cutting, planted 
more or less horizontally, is adopted, the method of the late G. 
G. Briggs, one of the largest giape planters of the interior val- 
leys, may be followed. This is his description of his practise :— 
