THE GRAPE VINE. 7 J 



PREPARING YOUKG VINES FOR PLANTING. 



To prepare one-year-old vines for planting, about 

 the middle of January select the necessary number of 

 strong prominent buds from vines that have thorough- 

 ly well and early ripened their wood. Cut away the 

 wood to within a quarter of an inch on the upper 

 side of the bud, and that on the under side to within 

 an inch — making clean cuts with a sharp knife. The 

 buds are thus ready for insertion. Take the required 

 number of 4-inch pots, drain them well, and fill them 

 up rather firmly with three parts light fibry loam, 

 and one part of finely-sifted, well-decomposed leaf- 

 mould. Make a hole in the centre of each to receive 

 the buds, into which they are to be inserted, and sur- 

 rounded with a little propagating sand. Cover them 

 to the very tips of the buds. When they are put in, 

 place them in a house slightly warmer than a common 

 greenhouse ; and if the soil is moist, do not water 

 them for a week. The first week of February re- 

 move them to some house or pit where they can be 

 plunged near the glass in a bottom-heat of 80° to 85°, 

 with a night temperature of 55° to 60°. Keep them 

 steadily and moderately moist, and they will soon 

 burst their buds ; and as they begin to develop their 

 leaves, raise the temperature 5°, and let it run up 10° 

 more with sun-heat by day before giving air. The 

 pspcess of leaf-development and the formation of roots 

 will be nearly simultaneous, although generally leaves 

 slightly precede the roots. Consequently, after they 

 have formed two or three small leaves, they halt in 

 growth till the roots have fairly commenced their 

 work. At this stage see that they do not become 

 over dry. Just keep the soil moist, but not wet, and. 



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