Early in April dig up the box,
open a trench in a moist but not wet part of the garden, and
insert the cuttings perpendicularly in the soil, so that the upper
bud is covered barely one inch. In filling up the trench, press
the soil carefully yet firmly about the cuttings, and spread over
the surface just about them a little fine manure. The cuttings
should be a foot apart from each other in the row. Do not let the
ground become dry about them at any time during the summer. By
fall these cuttings will probably have thrown out an abundance of
roots, and have made from two to three feet of vine. In this case
they can be taken up and set out where they are to fruit. Possibly
but one or two of them have started vigorously. The backward ones
had better be left to grow another year in the cutting bed.
Probably we shall not wish to cultivate more than one or two vines
of the variety; but it is just as easy to start several cuttings
as one, and by this course we guard against failure, and are able
to select the most vigorous plant for our garden. By taking good
care of the others we soon derive one of the best pleasures which
our acre can afford--that of giving to a friend something which
will enhance the productiveness of his acre, and add to his
enjoyment for years to come.
Not only on our neighbor's grounds, but also on our own we shall
discover that some varieties are unusually vigorous, productive,
and well-adapted to our locality; and we may very naturally wish
to have more vines of the same sort, especially if the fruit is to
our taste.
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