THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
probably constitute four-fifths of the graft¬ 
ing stocks now employed, having been found 
to adapt themselves in nearly all kinds of soils 
and exposures, and uniting the greatest pow¬ 
ers of resistance to the insect with a remark¬ 
able facility of rooting from cuttings and of 
receiving t he graft of the V. vinifera. 
The results of grafting the European vine 
on American roots lias not. only proved satis¬ 
factory as a means of resisting the phylloxera, 
but also in imparting greater vigor to the 
European vine. The matter of grafting the 
grape-vine has many other points of interest. 
Thus new varieties may bo tested earlier. By 
grafting on vigorous stocks, we generally ob¬ 
tain bearing wood and .sometimes even fruit 
the first year. Besides, we are also enabled, 
by grafting, to tarn old. vigorous vines which 
we do not prize, to good aeeouut. ashy the loss 
of but one year we can change them into some 
desired variety. 
The Stock. —Never select a weak or dis¬ 
eased vine upon which to graft. The cion 
should be inserted as near the surface of the 
ground as possible. Some think that the 
stock and cion should be of varieties as nearly 
alike in vigor of growth as possible. We 
should prefer to graft the weaker on the 
stronger. 
Thk Cion. —This should be cut from a 
healthy, short-jointed cane of the last Sum¬ 
mer’s growth and about the size ot a lead 
pencil. It is better to cut it from the vine 
before hard freezing weather, and keep it in a 
cool cellar, either in damp moss or sand, or 
else buried in the ground. An ice-house 
would keep the cion dormant for late Spring 
grafting. 
When to GrAti.— With our present know! 
edge, the vine cannot be grafted satisfactorily 
either while the sap is runniug freely or |ex- 
cept by inarching) from the time in the early 
Summer when the young shoots begin to turn 
bard and fibrous. This period generally com¬ 
mences about the time of the bloom and lasts 
until after the fall of the leaf The best t ime 
for grafting is therefore reduced to two pe¬ 
riods, the first one lying between the fall of 
the leaf and Ihe active circulation in the 
Spring, and the second one commencing after 
this exceedingly strong flow of sap has abated, 
aud lasting until the full development of the 
first young growth. Dr. Wylie, of South 
Carolina, considered the Fall or early Whiter 
in that latitude as the proper time for graft¬ 
ing. At Mount Tryon, Folk County, N. C., 
a friend of the Rural has lieeu very success¬ 
ful in early March, Further north Fall graft¬ 
ing is less reliable. At the Rural Grounds 
we have succeeded well with cions sec in late 
March. Some claim good success in mid¬ 
summer with cions of the same season’s 
growth. 
Cleft Grafting. —The method of grafting 
most generally applied for larger stocks, or 
for plants which are already established in 
the open ground, is cleft grafting. After 
clearing away the soil arouud the collar of 
the stock to be operated upon, to the depth of 
three or four inches, select a place below the 
surface with a smooth exterior around the 
collar; just above this place cut the vine off 
horizontally with a fiue-toothed saw, or, in the 
case with smaller stocks, with a sharp knife; 
then split the stock with a sharp instrument, 
so that the cleft will mu down about one-aml- 
a-half or two inches. Insert the suihII end of 
the grafting chisel, or a narrow wedge, iu the 
center of the cleft in order to keep it open, 
aud then with a very sharp kuife cut your 
cion—which may be three to f iur inches long 
and have one or two eyes—to a long wedge- 
shape at the lower end, so as to fit the cleft, 
leaving the outer side a trifle thicker than the 
inner one; insert it in the cleft so that the 
inner lmrk of both stock aud cion may as much 
in the figure. Then holding the stock in the 
left hand, cut the thickest part of the split end 
t<> an exact smoot h level of equal length at the 
cleft as shown in Figs. !♦ and 10. The cion 
should be selected as nearly as possible corres¬ 
ponding in size or thickness with the stock 
and , with two eves, it is split and cut precisely 
in the same manner as the stock, except only, 
of course, that, the cleft, and level will be at 
the lower extremity instead of the upper, as iu 
G..Fig. 10. Then unite them as in B.B., Fig. 11, 
turn brown and apparently die. Be not dis¬ 
couraged too soon. Make no rash examina¬ 
tion as to the cause. A cion will often remain 
in this condition for five or six weeks and 
then grow with great vigor, making wood to 
the length of 20 or more feet the same season. 
Keep the young growth well supported. Re¬ 
move all suckers from the parent stock. 
Fig. 14- 
A method of green grafting is said to give 
excellent results as practiced in Hungary. 
In May, when the young shoots have not yet 
become woody, but have well-developed eyes 
at the base of the leaves, the shoot, which is 
to be grafted is cut off close below an eye. It 
is then split uearly to the eye below the cut. 
The cion, taken from a suitable young shoot, 
is cut to one eye with a long, thin, wedge, 
which is fitted nicely into the split. The graft 
is then wrapped with woolen yarn. After a 
few days the eye will begin to swell and grow, 
and after a complete union takes place will 
develop shoots of a yard or more in length the 
same season. During the first Winter the 
grafted eane should be laid down and covered 
to protect it from frost. This operation is a 
very easy one. 
Fig. 4. 
wax, such as Ls generally used for tree and 
other grafting, is not recommended for the 
grape. Perhaps the resin or tallow has a 
harmful effect. 
To complete the operation, replace the 
soil, piling It up so that the upper bud ou 
the cion will be level with the surface. 
Our own plan has been to set sticks about 
the grafted stock al*out a foot high and 
then fill in with straw or similar material. 
This method of grafting may also be em¬ 
ployed for small stocks. When the stock is 
nearly the same size as the cion a perfect 
contact, of t he bark iliber) can be obtained on 
both sides. This is shown in Fig, 5, Or two 
cions may lie inserted in a stock of a little 
larger size, as in Fig l», It may also be em 
ployed for grafting cuttings on cuttings, as in 
Fig. 7: though for this, as well as for all 
GRAPES IN THK PROVINCE OF 
QUEBEC. 
I have been a little backward in w riting on 
the grape questiou, ns soiuueli has been said iu 
the Rural by experienced viue-culturists. 
But a bunch of Duchess to-day led me to 
speak. We fruited 15 varieties this season, 
aud among them the new Niagara and several 
other varieties. Our old stand-by Concord 
suffered fi'oin frost, about 1,001) pounds being 
unsalable. The Eumelau has fruited w ith us 
for IU years, and bears rich and abundant 
large clusters, which were not affected by a 
frost that destroyed ths Concord's flavor. 
The seedlings of the late Charles Am Id were 
improved by the freezing, and the Brighton 
and Amber Queen were not much injured. 
A beautiful grape isthe Brighton, and of rich 
flavor. Agawam and Cornucopia stood the 
freezing: but Lady and Niagara were spoiled 
in flavor, and badly burned in color. The 
fruit of the Duchess was cut after the first 
frost, and to-day into the month of December, 
I took a bunch from a drawer, aud found them 
firm and sweet, not a berry has dropped from 
the bunch: not one has shriveled. “Why did 
we sell or give away any of the fruit of this 
vine!" I exclaim in dismay. Better to keep it 
for family use. I did not trust to the reports 
of its keeping qualities. 1 congratulate Mr. 
Cay wood on sending out such a vine. It was 
loaded with rich, full clusters, and I only re¬ 
gret that I did not purchase a score of vines 
instead of oue, although it did cost me #1.50 
per vine. But I was “of little faith.” The 
best black grape we had was Moore’s Early'. 
Brighton was the best red, and Duchess must 
stand first among the green-white grapes. 
Province of Quebec. a. L. jack. 
[Mrs. Jack has, to our knowledge, tested 
many of the new kinds as well as most of the 
old. Our Canadian subscribers should value 
the above statements.—E ds.] 
taking care that the bark of both fit together 
exactly and snugly. at least on one side. The 
Era ft is now ready for the tie which should 
be of some strong, pliable material. Adjust 
the tie firmly. Fig. 12 shows a well made 
Fig. 5. Fig. 0. Fig. 7. 
small stocks grafted out of the ground, the 
IV hip-graft or the Champin-graft may be 
preferred. The former is verv generally em¬ 
ployed by' our nurserymen in the propagation 
of all small fruit trees: in making root-grafts, 
and it is very convenient for in-door work. 
Iu France millions of this graft are made 
every Winter, mostly on rooted plants of one 
year’s growth, but many also ou simple cut¬ 
tings of American phylloxera-resisting kinds. 
The stocks aud cions should be secured in good 
seasou and kept well-preserved iu sand or 
moss or stowed away in the cellar. The cion 
aud stock should be as uearly as possible of 
uniform size, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. 
Champiu graft. It now remains to la? covered 
with a thin but well-applied coating of graft- 
iug-clay', of tin-foil or rubber, ft may then 
be planted out, or if the operation is performed 
in U inter before the planting season, it may 
be stored in the cellar carefully packed away 
iu sand. Grafting upon simple cuttings is 
performed in the same way as shown in 
Fig. 13. 
It may sometimes be desirable to graft ou 
a layered cane as iu the case where uo good 
place can be found for inserting a cion iu the 
collar of an old vine. In such oases a thrifty 
young cane is grafted at some desirable point 
near its end. The graft may bean ordinary 
cleft-graft, a common wlup-graft or the 
Cbampin-graft. or. as Fig. 14 shows, a sad¬ 
dle graft. This shows the layered cane aud 
graft, and will make the operation plain to 
the reader without further explanation One 
advantage of the layered graft is that the 
stock is not sacrificed in case the cion fails to 
grow, it also enables us to obtain a number 
of such grafts from oue vine. Separate the 
layered eaue from the parent stock in late 
Bummer It may be transplanted in the Fall, 
if desired. Cut off in all cases auy roots that 
start from the eiou. 
Sometimes the buds of a cion swell rapidly 
within a few days after its insertion, and then 
MINER’S GRAPES 
Having had seedling vines from the late T. 
B. Miner in bearing for three years, I give my 
experience with them: 
Carlotta. white, bunch and berry' medi¬ 
um, compact; vine of moderate growth and 
productiveness. Berries drop when past their 
prime. Quality rich and refreshing, free from 
foxiness: the best iu quality of all the Miner 
seedlings. 
Victoria, w hite, bears a large bunch and 
berry of excellent quality; occasionally shoul¬ 
dered ; slightly inclined to foxiuess; ripens a 
week later than Concord, stistaining itself well 
till severe frosts. N iue a good bearer and a 
staunch grower, perfectly bardv and free from 
mildew. 
Belinda, white, presents an attractive, 
uuiforiu bunch of good size and large berries 
of pale green color; quality sweet and juicy: 
a little foxy when fully ripe. Vine vigorous 
and productive; a desirahle grape. This last 
unfavorable season it mildewed. 
Antoinette, white, carries a medium bunch 
of large berries extremely sweet: but with a 
heavy, tough pulp: sensibly foxy; and this 
sort of flavor increases till bey ond endurance 
after it has ripened. As it drops its berries 
Fig. 8. Fig. «.). 
The improved Whip-graft or the Champiu- 
graft may be remarked upon as follows: We 
may first, operate upon a rooted cutting as 
show u at Fig. 5), Cut off the top as close as 
possible below- an eye or joiut at the collar. 
Then with a grafting knife, or any kiud with a 
thin, narrow blade, make a nice, straight and 
regular slit from above dow nwards, as shown 
as possible make a close fit ou each other; then 
withdraw the wedge iu the center, and the 
cion will be held (irmly in its place by the 
pressure of the stock. If the stock is u large 
one two cions may be iuserted, one on each 
side. This mode of grafting answer* for 
stocks varying from one-hair to three inches 
in diameter. (See Figs. 3 and 4 ) 
Though not absolutely necessary with large 
