Year: 1866

| dollars TO the annual pTodUcts OF the
| States industry -.


| ED. FARMER The grape has become
somewhat of staple crop with us Of the
Middle States, and while we have un-
doubtedly acquired great success in its
cultivation, l have no doubt but that in
Virginia and other portions of the
sunny South the cultivation ofthe grape
might be carried on to a much higher
degr ee of success, if not to the very high
est. Your milder winter, earlier spring,
and later autumn wonld all contribute
to bring the fruit to greater perfection,
and would enable you TO grow the sHpe-
rior bnt more tender varieties which are
not able to endure our more rigorous eli
mate. Many acres now thrown out as
yalueless, might, with proper care and
small expenditure of meney, in a few
years., be made very profit BILE
Experience has proved with us
that one acre of grape vines
can -be made to yield more net
profit when properly cultivated, than
an entire farm cultivated in ordinary
farm crops.


Ipropose in this article to treat of the
several modes of propagation OF grape
vines. and shall begin with the most
simple, viz; propagation by cutting
Cuttings consist OF from eight to ten
inches of the new matured growth, con-
tanning from three to four buds, OF very
vigorous kinds cuttings from four to
six inches long, with only two buds
may be used. They should be prepared
i'm the, fall, soon after the leaves have
matured, and shOuld only consist of the
best of the wood, mature, solid, and OF
good thickness; none being used for the
purpose of less diameter than one sixth
of an incl


The lower end should be cut smoothly,
just below a bud, cutting from the op.
posite side and coming out about one
quarter of an inch below the bud The
upper end should not be cut closer than
one and a half inches above the upper
bud When cut closer there is danger
of this bud being injured by loss of moist
ure, especially with varieties the wood
of which is not very solid. The wood OF
the harder and more vigorous varieties,
when the season has not been too rainy,
will, if sufficiently ripened TO be used
for cuttings, sink when thrown INTO
water.


Another mode of preparing cuttings is
to use only the three or four lower buds
of the new growth, aud to cut with it
a small portion Of the two years old
wood; this can only be done when wood
for cuttings is very plenty, aud IN vine,
yards where the renewal system ol
pruning is adopted These latter are
called ''mallst cutting and are pre-
ferred by some prOpagatOrs, while 9th
ers equally successful prefer the former.


The soil best adapted to growing vines
from cuttings (indeed by any mode,) Is
rather sandy loan in which clay IS
found snbaued by sand or sufficient veg
liable refuse to keep it from baking
or forming crust after heavy rains
The'soil shoHld be very rich and loose to
insure plenty of good roots and good
top growth


For if the plants from cuttings be not
well matured the first year 1t takes
them several years after they are trans
planted to make a strong and healthy
growth The soil should be worked
several times previous to planting, to
have it thoroughly loose and in good
condition.


Cuttings may he planted in either the
fall or the spring Ifin the fail, it should
be done within three weeks after the
leaves mature. We prefer spring plant
ing. after the ground has attained some
warmth. about Tccll before it is ready
for corn planting. But at whichever
season it is done, the same course should
be pursued ~ follows:


Let the ground be perfectly moilow
and loose, and not at all adhesive from
late rains. Then plant in rows about
four feet wide, when worked by horse
power. but when intended to be kept
clean by hand onc-half that distance will
do. In making the rows, let it be done
with IA spade, throwing out trench
with the side sloping so as to resemble
the letter V, about as deep as the aver
age length of the cuttings. Then lay
the cuttings on the side OF the treuch
about three inches apart. with the upper
bud slightly below the surface. Fill IN
the trench on the lower buds of the cut
tings and tramp it firmly, then fill mp
the rest of the trench without tramping


The ground should I've kept we'll stirred
through the summer Especially when
clav predominates and entirely free
from weeds New and strong manure
should not be used in the cutting bed,
only well rotted, Eue manure which may
be incorporated with the soil tor this
purpose Greater success would be Sc
cured b. mulching; covering the ground
three inches deep with half rotted stray.
about June Ist to 18th Ii saves culti-
vati0n and nsures the young plants
from injury and from drouth. In the
fall all the plants should be taken mp
and cleaned-all those which have ma
tured two. feet or more of good growth
are fit to be planted in the vineyards or
garden The refuse or second class may
be replanted after first shortening the
roots to two inches and the top to one
inch


When cuttings are prepared during
the fall to be planted in the spring they
may be kept over by opening a short
trench and putting them in very thick,
somewhat after the manure described
for planting. In cultiyating, hoe up to
the plants rather than away from them.
Good plants of most varieties can be
raised by strict attention TO these direc-
tions


Iu our next We will glance al the mode
generally adopted by vine growers for
the propagation of the newer, more ten
der aud sCarcer varieties J H /.


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