March.] THE VINEYARD. 245 
remain on the plant until they are perfectly ripe. As soon as the 
seed is taken from the pulp, it should be laid in some airy, but 
shady place, to dry, and then carefully preserved in sand till spring. 
If, however, the seeds were immediately sown in pots, and preserv- 
ed in a hot-house, green-house, or under the protection of glasses, 
till spring, they would then more freely vegetate. Or, sow the 
seed in February or March, and plunge the pots into a temperate 
hot-bed; when the plants appear, they will require, from time to 
time, gentle sprinklings of water, and protection from frost and 
cold. When so far advanced as to have three or four joints each, 
they must be carefully shaked out, and planted each in a sepa- 
rate pot. 
The greatest care will be required in the performance of the 
above operation, as it will be beneficial to preserve as much of the 
earth to the roots as possible: then plunge the pots into a gentle 
hot-bed; give the plants a little water and occasional shade from 
a strong sun, till they have taken root; after which, give them 
plenty of air occasionally, so as to inure them to the open weather, 
and have them fit to turn out of the pots in July, with the balls of 
earth, wherever they are intended to remain; and from thence for- 
ward, they may be treated exactly in the same manner as recom- 
mended hereafter for plants raised from cuttings, only that they 
will require some slight protection from the frosts of the ensuing 
winter. 
Propagation by Layers. 
When the vine is intended to be propagated by layers, the best 
shoots of the preceding season that can be most conveniently 
brought to the earth, are to be chosen for that purpose. After 
making the ground light and fine with the spade, each shoot must 
be fastened with a hooked stick, about five or six inches below the 
surface, with the tops somewhat erect, and cut so as to leave but 
two buds above ground: this work may be done at any time 
when the weather permits, from the middle or beginning of October 
till the end of March, or rather until and at the time of spring prun- 
ing; for, if done much later, the top of the layer where cut, and 
even the parts bent in the operation, would bleed, which would 
injure it considerably. Some give them a slit where inserted into 
the earth, but they will root freely with or without such. 
During summer, if the w^eather proves dry, a little water occa- 
sionally would be of use to them, just so much as will keep the 
ground in a moist state. The autumn, or spring following, the 
layers may be taken otF from the mother plants, their tops pruned, 
the extreme ends of the stems beyond the young roots cut oft" close 
to them, and so planted where they are to remain; but I would 
prefer doing this early in March. 
This is a very useful and necessary operation, when any of your 
plants in the vineyard are bad kinds, or in an indifferent state of 
health, for you can extend the end of a long shoot from a neigh- 
bouring plant to where the bad plant was, or stands, entering it 
