OF THE VINE. 



63 



striking with greater freedom and vigour, but will 

 also greatly accelerate the growth of the plant. 



There seems to be a great superfluity of wood 

 in a cutting of the above description ; for when it 

 is deep planted, the lower eyes in general decay ; 

 and, if planted shallow, the part above ground 

 commonly dies down to the eye, even with or im- 

 mediately under the surface. 



In this place it will not be improper to observe, 

 that various other plants, as well as the Vine, admit 

 of being propagated by layers and cuttings, and 

 that it is allowed that cuttings are generally pre- 

 ferable to layers, and that plants, raised from 

 small cuttings, commonly make the best plants. 

 The cause seems obvious, viz. that it appears in- 

 jurious to the new plant, in proportion as it par- 

 takes too abundantly of its original or the mother 

 plant. Hence it is evident, that the less the 

 matter that forms the rudiment of the new plant, 

 the better. Indeed this theory is evinced by prac- 

 tice ; for it is well known, that those plants raised 

 from seed, which have the smallest beginning, 

 always make better plants, and are greatly pre- 

 ferable to those of the same species, which are 

 raised either by cuttings or layers. 



It may be unnecessary here to go through the 

 common process of raising vine-plants by cuttings 

 of the foregoing description, as I propose to offer 

 a more advantageous method of propagating the 

 Vine from only a single eye, and about three 



