15 
The measurements of root development show this to have been 
85 per cent greater in leaf mold than in soil. The new vine growth 
was also considerably greater for the leaf mold than for the soil. 
This clearly indicates the importance of keeping the vines supplied 
with a heavy leaf mulch. 
"Wilting v. immediate planting of cuttings. — Some advise wilting the 
cuttings 12 or 14 days before planting. 1 In the test of this point, 
which is summarized in the table above, the cuttings which were 
wilted for 12 days previous to planting fell far behind cuttings made 
simultaneously with them and planted immediately. However, when 
the wilted cuttings were measured 12 days later than those made 
simultaneously with them and set immediately, both thus remaining 
planted for an equal period of time, the growth made by the wilted 
cuttings exceeded that made by those which had been planted imme- 
diately. As the growth under both systems was very satisfactory, 
it seems of little importance whether the cuttings are planted imme- 
diately or allowed to remain unplanted for a number of days, this 
being a point which may be left to the convenience of the planter. 
Kapidity of growth of the newly planted cutting is thus seen to 
depend on several factors, of which the length of the cutting and the 
nature of the medium in which it is set are both important. 
Preparation of the site for planting consists in leveling the surface 
of the soil around the base of the support and applying to it a heavy 
mulch of rotting leaves, dead grass, or forest trash. 
The cuttings should be tied to the supporting tree in such a way 
that when new growth starts it will fasten itself to the tree or hang 
over a branch. It should be placed low enough for several node 
to He flat on the mulch. These should be covered lightly with leaf 
mulch or with grass, the stem being fastened in place with a crotched 
stick when necessary and the basal tip left uncovered. If rotting is 
prevalent, the covering may be made very light and removed after 
the roots have started into the mulch below. 
SHADING. 
To test the growth of vines under varying degrees of light and 
shade, a planting was made of 18 eleven-node cuttings, 6 of which 
were in full sunlight and 12 were in four varying degrees of artificial 
shade furnished by a white cotton cloth, a thin unbleached cotton 
cloth, a heavy unbleached cotton cloth, and a thin black cotton 
cloth. Other conditions were made as uniform as possible and 
plenty of humus was supplied. From 2 to 18 months after planting 
monthly measurements of growth were taken, but the differences 
between individuals under identical conditions showed the number 
of plants in the tests to have been too small to show definite differences 
i Vanilla cuttings. Agr. News Barbados, 14 (1915), No. 333, p. 41. 
