The Raisin Industry: A practical treatise on the raisin grapes, their history, culture and curingEisen, Gustavus A.
History
The Raisin Industry: A practical treatise on the raisin grapes, their history, culture and curing
Eisen, Gustavus A.
Raisins; Viticulture -- California
When the sheep’s-foot is used in planting, the butt end of the cutting
is inserted in the forked end of this tool, and this explains why it is
necessary to have as little wood as possible below the last eye of the
cutting. By pushing the sheep’s-foot down in the soil, the cutting is
pushed simultaneously down to the proper length; a twist is then given
the sheep’s-foot so as to get it loose from the cutting, and the former
is then pulled up. It may in some instances be necessary to push down
the cutting with the left hand, while the sheep’s-foot is being pulled
back, as care must be taken that in pulling back the sheep’s-foot the
cutting is not lifted. Even the smallest lift will cause the lower end
of the cutting to hang in an air chamber, and this will, as I have
stated, cause the cutting to mold and die. When planted, a few sharp
taps with the foot will sufficiently fix the cutting. When the flat bar
is used, a hole is first made by the bar, the cutting is then inserted,
and the hole filled up by again inserting the bar near the cutting, and
by pressing it forward towards the latter. Neither of these tools can be
used in dry or stony soils, but in moist and loamy soil, which has been
previously well prepared, they are most excellent, as doing the work
both quickly and well. The sheep’s-foot is unexcelled for speed in loose
soil, while the flat bar is of advantage where the soil is a little
harder. The flat spade is used when rocky and stony or even gravelly
soil interferes with the using of the former tools. Every farmer will
know how to use the spade, and no further explanation is required here.
Some plant the cuttings slantingly in the soil, in order to bring them
as near the surface as possible. This is well enough and proper in very
wet soils, where the lower strata are too cool, but in this warm country
the perpendicular planting is easier and better. By twisting and bending
the cutting in the dug hole a longer cutting can be used, but I have
seldom found any advantage of very long cuttings, and few soils are
suited to raisin grapes when such methods are needed to produce strong
and rapidly growing vines.
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