﻿PLANT 
  INDUSTRIES 
  

  

  317 
  

  

  jr 
  <_ 
  TV 
  V. 
  

  

  Ife 
  

  

  Grafting 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  practiced 
  in 
  horticulture 
  (sect. 
  87). 
  

   Parts 
  of 
  two 
  individuals 
  of 
  closely 
  related 
  plants 
  may 
  be 
  

   made 
  to 
  unite 
  their 
  woody 
  tissues 
  and 
  grow 
  as 
  one 
  plant. 
  If 
  

   one 
  has 
  a 
  particularly 
  desirable 
  variety, 
  he 
  may 
  insert 
  small 
  

   branches 
  (scions) 
  from 
  it 
  upon 
  other 
  less 
  valuable 
  related 
  

   stock 
  plants. 
  The 
  growing 
  tissues 
  (cambium) 
  of 
  the 
  two, 
  if 
  

   united, 
  will 
  enable 
  the 
  

   pieces 
  to 
  grow 
  together 
  

   and 
  continue 
  to 
  live 
  essen- 
  

   tially 
  as 
  one 
  plant. 
  In 
  

   former 
  practices 
  the 
  grafts 
  

   were 
  usually 
  made 
  above- 
  

   ground 
  and 
  were 
  probably 
  

   made 
  less 
  effectively 
  than 
  

   they 
  are 
  now. 
  If 
  one 
  visits 
  

   an 
  old 
  orchard 
  he 
  is 
  likely 
  

   to 
  see 
  evidence 
  of 
  these 
  

   grafts 
  on 
  the 
  main 
  stem 
  

   or 
  on 
  the 
  branches 
  of 
  old 
  

   trees 
  (fig. 
  235). 
  The 
  dif- 
  

   ference 
  in 
  size 
  of 
  stock 
  and 
  

   scion 
  in 
  old 
  grafts 
  may 
  be 
  

   due 
  to 
  a 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  

   natural 
  rate 
  of 
  thickening 
  

   of 
  wood 
  in 
  the 
  two, 
  or 
  to 
  

   imperfect 
  joining 
  of 
  tis- 
  

   sues, 
  which 
  causes 
  a 
  lodg- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  food 
  material 
  

   and 
  a 
  consequent 
  unusual 
  

   growth 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   graft. 
  The 
  advantages 
  of 
  grafting 
  are 
  great. 
  Vigorous 
  plants 
  

   which 
  produce 
  poor 
  fruit 
  or 
  scanty 
  fruit 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  ex- 
  

   tending 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  especially 
  prolific 
  plants 
  that 
  produce 
  

   fruit 
  of 
  unusually 
  good 
  quality. 
  The 
  same 
  general 
  principles 
  

   apply 
  to 
  the 
  culture 
  of 
  flowers 
  as 
  to 
  fruit 
  culture, 
  and 
  the 
  

   possibilities 
  are 
  equally 
  great. 
  

  

  FIG. 
  236. 
  A 
  properly 
  pruned 
  cherry 
  tree, 
  

   the 
  remaining 
  branches 
  full 
  of 
  flowers 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  the 
  Michigan 
  Development 
  

   Company 
  

  

  