Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-11
Written for TIE EVENING star:
HORTICULTURAL MATTERS.
Some Valuable Advice About Propa-
eating Grapes.

Some Valuable Advice About Propa-
eating Grapes.
HOW THE CUTTINGS SHOULD BE MADE AND WHEN
PLANrED-THE CARE NECESSARY IN CUTTING
FROM UNRrPE wooD-INsEcr DESTRUCTION AND
WHAT Is USED TO PROTECT PLANTS AND TREES.
Propagating the grape successfully requires
no little experience on the part OF tbs vine
yardist, and in my own experience know that
the experiments made are often costly and dis
couraging. The most common methods are by
cuttings, layers and grating. The former is
probably the most difficult of the three, for il
is still mooted point as to the best length for
cuttings. In America we prefer short cuttings,
and think that they do better than the very
long ones; but in Europe the very reverse is
the case. The cuttings are made very long,
often exceeding twelve or fourteen inches. In
our own country il has been demonstrated again
and again that those six or eight inches in
length produce as good, if not better, plants
than those much longer. The European vine
yards are little behind us in another respect.
The modern scientific horticulturist OF this
country would not think of planting cuttings
where the vines are to remain and bear fruit:
but in Europe cuttings. instead OF rooted plants,
are put in the vineyards the same two thou
sand years ago. The implements used for their
cultivation are also old fashioned and clumsy.
ard il seems a wonder that some change is not
made in this respect. when the good results of
improved methods and implements are con.id-
cred
PRoPAGATISa BY CUTTINGS.
| Nearly all of our cultivated varieties can
| readily be propasated in the open air by cut
| tings, although some of the more delicate ones
| require greater care. The cuttings that are
| planted out In the spring should be made in
/ autumn On cane of or inches several
| buds should be kept, and if the wood is short
joiDted there will be not less than three to four
/ buds. Such cutting is better than one with
less buds on it. for roots usually start from each
| bud. The best place to keep the tender canes
through winter is in sand or moss in some cell
lar, where frost cannot touch them. In the
spring then they can be taken out and planted
1 IN the ground the same any other riDe wood
| cuttings. That is. the cane should be buried
| IN the ground with the upper bud Just on a
level or below the surface. During the sum-
mer months one or more sprouts will come up,
! which II viii be necessary TO cut back in warm
climates when winter approaches again. In
| our northern states the cuttings have to be
taken up and heeled-in, and given protection
| through the winter months Vineyardists in
some states mulch their cutting beds and bene-
mt the plants by keeping them moist, but In
some localities this does more harm than good.
THE SINGLE BUD CUTTINGS,
as they are called, are the best for rare and
delicate varieties. The canes have only one
bud, instead of three or four, as the long cut
| tings, and the amount of wood attached to the
| bud is much less. Too much wood Injuries the
growth OF the buds as much as too little. 1t is
| the practice with some horticulturists to expose
| more of the inside of the wood by cutting off
| slice of the bark opposite the bud The one
bud cuttings are usually put under glass in the
winter, and stuck in shallow boxes or frames
| filled with sand The cuttings can be placed
a morn liar l.fI DE-
not thrust too deep in the soil. The best plan
| Is to cover them up in an upright position,
with the bud about half an inch from the sur
| face. The heat should be supplied from be-
low. if possible, as in all propagating houses,
and liberal supply of water constantly ap-
piled. When the new growth is two or three
| inches in height. the cuttings should be taken
up and potted singly. The first two or three
days after transplanting, care should be taken
! 10 keep the pots IN a warm, moist place.
sISGLE-EYE CUTTINGS
should not be placed out of doors until early
summer, when all danger from cold waves is
past They may be forced in the propagating
house early in winter. but February is the IA
vorite month for such work The wood that is
to be used for such propagation should be taken
| IN and stored In the cellar early in winter
Sometimes nch wood will get very dry before
February. In such cases the cuttings can be
| thrown III warm water and allowed to soak a
few hours. when their dry and shriveled ap-
pearance will disappear.
FROM UNRIPE WOOD.
! The work of taking cuttings from green or
unripe wood is sometimes attended with con-
siderable success, but greater care must be ex-
ercised than if the wood was mature. To do
this successfully the young vines should be
potted In the autumn, and the soil made SO rich
that the wood will grow rapidly. The young
shoots will soon attain a growth of a foot or
| more. when some of them paD he for
| cuttings. All of them should not be removed
however, for this would check the growth of
the young vine and probably kill it. The bet
ter plan is to take few cuttings at a time, and
the main plant will not then feel the injuries SO
| much. bud and leaf should be left on each
| cutting thus made. The lower end should be
| cut square off near the bud, and the cutting
buried two-thirds of its length in sand This
will leave the leaf above ground, from the stem
OF which new growth will soon spring into ex-
istence. The cuttings should be kept in close
| frames. c. s. WALTERS
| Insect Destruction.
To understand the relation insects bear to
each other, and to the trees and plants upon
which they prey, has been constant study for
many years by the most eminent and learned
men of this country and Europe. The disas-
| trous results of their workings make it neces-
| sary that those who own valuable orchards and
shade trees should know how to contend with
|
| and every year lessen the utility of trees. Al
| though individual insects are small, and there
fore seem of little moment. yet a great num-
Der of them combined requires serious consid-
Grafton. The number of species is so large,
and their fecundity SO great that often in
few days they will SO increase as to be able to
destroy whole sections of country and despoil
| the fruit-growers and farmers of their crops
Every owner of trees should see to it that no
insects infest his trees or plants and a little
| care and knowledge in this respect will
| largely prevent serious losses. There
| seems to be scarcely anything free
from insect ravages. The air and water TEEN
| with countless myriads, and in the vegetable
growth every part OF the tree and plant is in
tested with them. Hundreds of species are
enumerated as infesting single species of
| tree, and when We understand how they work
| we wonder that SO few trees and plants escape
being destroyed. Our insect enemies are not
all natives of our soil, but are brought to US
| from foreign countries in almost every imported
| article. New York, as a great importing GEN.
ter is, therefore, continually introducing some
| thing new in insect pests. In Central park we
have an alarming array of parasitic insects
that prey upon the great variety of tree and
| shrub life. and severe measures have to be used
in order to keep them in subsection.
KILLING THE INSECT WITHOUT INyURINa THE
TREE.
Many experiments have been tried at differ
| ent times in the New York parks to extermi-