Vines for vineyards, with the exception of varieties of Rotundifolia, are propagated from cuttings of hard wood taken from the season's canes when the vines are pruned. The inactive buds in these cuttings may be brought into active growth, and roots induced to grow from the cut surfaces by various means. By this miracle of Nature, an infinite number of plants, in an endless procession, may be propagated from the product of a single seed, each plant complete in its heredity and differing from its fellows only in accordance with environment. _Time to make cuttings._ A good cutting should have a protective callus over the cut and this requires time, so that the sooner cuttings are made after the wood becomes thoroughly dormant the better. Besides, the cutting should use its stored food material for the formation of adventitious roots rather than have it pass into buds, as it quickly does late in the dormant season when buds are about to open. If cuttings must be made late in the season, transplanting must be delayed as long as possible, and the cuttings be set in a northerly aspect to prevent the premature development of the buds. However, the grape responds surprisingly well to the call of Nature in forming roots, and great importance need not be attached to the time at which the cuttings are made. _Selecting cutting wood._ Cuttings are made from one-year-old wood; that is, canes produced during the summer are taken for cuttings in the fall. Immature canes and those with soft, spongy wood ought not to be used. Strong vigorous canes should be given preference over weak growth, but most nurserymen maintain that very large canes do not make as good cuttings as do those of medium size, the objection to large size being that the cuttings do not root as well. Short-jointed wood is better than long-jointed. Cuttings from vines weakened by insects and fungi are liable to be weak, soft, immature and poorly stored with food. The wood should be smooth and straight. _Making the cutting._ Grape cuttings vary in length from four inches to two feet, the length depending on the climate and the soil of the nursery and the species and variety. The hotter and drier the climate and the lighter the soil, the longer the cutting needs to be. Six to nine inches, however, is the usual length in the climate of eastern America, while on the Pacific slope the length varies from eight to fifteen inches. For convenience in handling, all cuttings should be approximately of the same length, to insure which some kind of simple gauge is needed. Various gauges are used, as marks cut in the working table, a stick of the required length, or a cutting-box.