<j66 THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Eyes 



Propagation. — The Vine is by no means 

 difficult to propagate, for under suitable conditions 

 roots are quickly and easily produced from l he 

 stein ; if, for instance, the border is not congenial 

 to the Vine roots, others are quickly formed amid 

 the more appropriate surroundings of the vinery 

 itself. These are by no means infrequent in 

 forced vineries, when the border (especially the 

 outside one) is somewhat cold, are known as 

 "adventitious roots," and are produced usually 

 on the spurs. The methods of propagation generally 

 adopted are layering, by cuttings, grafting, inarch- 

 ing, or "eyes." The latter is by far the most 

 extensively practised, and is also the most satisfac- 

 tory. The technical term "eye "is applied to a 

 bud cut from the ripened wood of the previous 

 summer's growth, with ^in. of wood on either 

 side of it. In preparing the eye lor insertion, 

 each cut should commence on the opposite side of 

 the wood to the bud, and should also slant outwards 

 should Lie put in late in Tanuarv. Place them singly in 

 small 60 pots, and plunge in a mild hot-bed in a warm 

 house about 7odeg. Put a few crocks at the bottom of the 

 pots lor drainage, and fill fairly firmly with a compost of 

 fibrous loam and sand. In the surface of this make a small 

 hole and fill in witli silver sand, into which the eye is 

 genllv pressed, until only the top of the bud is visible. If 

 the soil is moist (as it should be) before being used it will 

 scarcely need watering again until roots begin to form in 

 a few weeks' lime. Careful treatment is necessary until 

 the plants are growing well ; too high a temperature 

 w ill produce weak and spindling plants, while the application 

 of too much water would probably kill them. Grafting as 

 a mode of propagation is riot difficult if performed when the 

 stock and scion are in suitable condition. In the winter, 

 when Vines are resting, union between the two could not 

 lake place, and if the operation were attempted in the early 

 spring, when the sap is rising, bleeding would ensue. 



Apparently the best time for grafting is when the young 

 shoots are a few inches in length. The scions, or grafts, 

 must be taken from the ripened wood of the previous 

 season, and kept cool and fresh by laving them on a north 

 border and partially covering them with soil. 



A lew days before the grafts are required, if the buds are 

 not alreadv swelling, the former should be- brought into a 

 warm house to well prepare them for starting into growth. 

 In selecting a suitable position on the stock for the graft, 

 leave a shoot in advance of the point of union, otherwise the 

 How of sap would cease at the bud below and the graft 

 consequently perish. 



Of the various methods of grafiing, whip or tongue 

 grafting proves the most satisfactory. Having prepared the 

 scion, as show n in the accompanying sketch, and a corre- 

 sponding portion ol the stock being removed, it should so be 

 fitted to the latter that as much as possible of the inner bark 

 of the one may lit over the inner bark of the other. After 

 being tied well and tightly to the stock cover the graft with 

 grafting wax, leaving the bud, of course, free. When the 

 latter commences to burst the shoot on the end of 

 the stock requires stopping, and when the graft 

 is growing freely may be removed altogether. In 

 from one to two months' time the graft ought to 

 be established ; the wax and matting can then be 

 taken off. and the shoot given the same treatment 

 as the others on the Vine. 



Inarching. — The principles of this method, 

 known also as grafting by approach, are the same 

 as those of grafting, but whereas in the latter a 

 part of one plant is cut off and made to grow 

 upon another by inarching, two plants, each w ith 

 their own roots, are united together. In vineries 

 this system is usually employed for the purpose 

 of joining the shoot of a pot Vine to one of the per- 

 manent Vines, which particular variety for various 

 reasons may not he wanted. Having brought the 

 pot Vine near to the stem of the older one, take off 

 a portion of both at a point where the two can lie 

 convenient!}' joined together. The operation is then 



STOCK & SCION 

 UMTtD 



performed exactly as in grafting, with the differ- 

 ence that the scion is not severed from its own 

 roots until the union is complete. Check the 

 stock as the graft increases in vigour, and finally, 

 if necessary, remove it altogether. The green 

 shoots of the Vine may also be inarched in the 

 same way ; in this case, however, the two shoots 

 must be as nearly as possible of equal thickness. 



Propagation by Cuttings is not practised 



to any extent in this country, though it is a 

 common way in countries where the climatic con- 

 ditions allow Vine growing to be carried on as 

 a rural industry. There the cuttings aie taken 

 from the last season's ripened wood, cut about 

 loin, long, and the lower buds are removed. 

 They are planted in the vineyards at certain 

 distances apart, and remain as permanent plants, 

 being afterwards variously trained according to 

 SCI0N the particular system followed in the country. 



Layering. — This is the most simple of all the methods 

 of propagation, but it is not made use of largely so far as 

 the Vine is concerned, for it is by no means a convenient 

 one. It consists in bending down a portion of the recently 

 ripened wood of the Vine into the border or a pot of soil, 

 and where the bent shoot comes into contact with the soil, 

 to there fasten it down firmly by means of a peg. Some 

 recommend splitting the shoot slightly at this point to 

 encourage the formation of roots, but if the soil is kept 

 moist and the Vine well syringed roots will be emitted 

 without this. 



Pot Culture. — Vines in pots are, as a rule, the most 

 generally cultivated where an early supply of Grapes is 

 necessary, to avoid the hard forcing and consequent 

 weakening of the permanent Vines, or where, perhaps, a 

 vinery has been recently planted, and it is desired to 

 maintain the supply of Grapes until the young Vines arrive 

 at a bearing stage. After having been once hard forced 

 pot Vines are usually thrown away, most growers 

 preferring to again grow on young canes. These may 

 either be developed into fruiting canes in one year or 

 grown for two years before fruit is taken from them. In 

 this case the canes are cut back after the first season's 

 growth and grown on in the same way for another year. 

 To have- pot Vines strong enough to bear fruit when only 

 one year old great care is necessary, for if not really well 

 grown failure is certain. ' Their propagation is effected 

 by means of eyes. This method of striking has been 

 already explained, so one may suppose that they are rooted 

 and growing. When well rooted, move them into well- 

 drained 6in. pots, using for soil fibrous loam mixed 

 with a quantity of coarse sand. Grow the Vines quickly. 

 Keep them close to the glass, the house being closed early 

 in the afternoon, and a moist atmosphere maintained. The 

 thermometer at closing time may be allowed to reach 

 ,A CjOdeg. or 9Sdeg. When roots are again visible 

 round the sides of the pots remove them finally 

 into I2in. pots. The best position in which to 

 grow pot Vines is a lean-to house facing south ; 

 they are here trained up the trellis and have all 

 the light possible, both when growing and ripening. 

 When the pots are well filled with roots the Vines 

 become dry quickly and require large quantities 

 of water ; they should never be allowed to suffer 

 from dryness. So soon as the Vine has reached a 

 length of about 8ft. stop it. also the lateral 

 growths, which soon afterwards make their 

 appearance. When growth has finished and the 

 wood shows signs of ripening, more air should 

 be gradually given, until the plants are sufficiently 

 hardened to be moved out of doors. Although 

 much less water is now needed, the soil in the 

 pots must on no account be allowed to become 

 dry, or injury to the Vines will result. 



All the pruning necessary is to remove the laterals 

 and shorten back the cane a little. Leave this 

 about 6ft. long, sometimes more, sometimes less, 

 according to its strength. The treatment the 

 following year, when grown for fruiting, has been 



