Grafting the Foreign Varieties Upon American Stocks 



The best stocks for difierent climates and soils are mentioned on pages 126 and 219. 

 The Phylloxera cannot live in very sandy soils. 



Grafting the Grape 



Grafting the grape is a simple and easy matter, requiring sharp tools, a good eye and 

 judgment. 



The grafting may be done on young vines, one or two years old, either where they grow and 

 are to stand in the vineyard, when it is known as Field- Graf ting; or at the bench in the grafting 

 house, known as Bench-Grafting. 



In Bench-Grafting, the stocks to be grafted are grown from cuttings in the nursery until 

 large enough to graft, which is from one-fourth to one-half inch in diameter at collar, — the graft- 

 ing point — and usually reached in one year's growth from cutting, in good soil and culture. When 

 time comes for grafting, — late in winter, just before buds begin to swell, — the stocks are dug and 

 taken to grafting house, also good healthy scions taken from varieties to be grafted, are procured. 



With a single steady slanting cut 

 through the collar of the stock with a 

 sharp knife, and then a splitting cut, on 

 face of first cut, starting one-third of the 

 way from top of slant to bottom, half to 

 three-fourths of an inch deep, making 

 the tongue, which is to enter the split of 

 the scion. Then take a piece of scion 

 one-fourth inch or more in diameter, 

 containing two to three buds, and start- 

 ing opposite, or a little above lower bud, 

 cut through with same slant as that 

 made on stock, and make a Hke splitting 

 ' cut, then insert the tongue of each in 

 the split of the other, and tie with darn- 

 ing yarn as shown in cut. 



When the grafts are thus prepared, 

 they are packed in damp moss or cloths, 

 and planted in place in vineyard, mound- 

 ing up the damp, mellow soil to the top 

 bud. In due time the buds of the graft 

 will push, and the branches they make 

 must be trained up onto the trellis. 



In grafting in place, the stocks are 

 grown in place in the vineyard and 

 grafted there, — a much more tedious 

 work, but more certain, and about a 

 year's time in growth is gained. 

 Sometimes it is desired to graft an old vine, to get a vine of better kind, as well as to avoid 

 damage from ' Phylloxera. The difference in operation, is to saw o5 the body of the stock, as 

 near the ground as a straight portion, two or three inches in length, can be found. Then smooth 

 the cut with a sharp knife, and with a broad chisel, spHt the stock an inch or more, bemg careful 

 to not break loose the bark. Then take good, strong scion of last season's growth, cut two pieces 

 with three or four buds each. At base-end of each, shape to an evenly tapenng wedge, with a 



—231— 



Bench-Graft of Grape, Set Out 



