62 



ON THE MANAGEMENT 



the hole at the bottom of the pot, and by making 

 an incision about six inches below the surface. 



When a layer is taken from a strong fruitful 

 branch, and laid in a large pot, filled with proper 

 compost, which must be done with great care and 

 caution, it will sometimes come immediately into 

 bearing. Indeed, this is the principal advantage 

 that accrues from this mode of practice ; for vine- 

 plants, raised by layers, are much inferior to plants 

 raised by cuttings, both in point of future vigour 

 and durability. 



The usual method of propagating the Vine by 

 cuttings, has been in more general practice than 

 that of raising plants by layers ; the cuttings are 

 formed of the lower part of the shoot, consisting 

 of a few joints of the wood of the last year's growth, 

 together with the knot, and a small part of the two 

 years' old wood. It has been an observation of 

 ancient date, that a vine-cutting, when formed com- 

 plete, has the appearance of a little mallet. 



The proper length of the cutting, is a point 

 that has not hitherto been perfectly settled and 

 determined. 



Miller, whose directions have been pretty much 

 followed, allows it to be about sixteen inches; 

 others have prescribed shorter dimensions ; but all 

 agree that it should consist of several joints at 

 least of the last year's wood. 



A cutting of this sort will strike freely, either 

 with or without an artificial heat ; a temperate hot- 

 bed heat will, however, not only facilitate its 



