344 STATE HORTICULTURAL. SOCIETY. 



grafting, and union does not take place readily. Vigorous coleus stocks 

 three months old, gave best results if cut to within two or three inches of 

 the pot and all or nearly all the leaves removed from the stump. 

 Geraniums, being harder in wood, made good unions at almost any place 

 except on the soft growing points. The stock must not have ceased growth, 

 however. Most of the leaves should be kept down on the stock. Scions an 

 inch or two long were usually taken from firm growing tips, in essentially 

 the same manner as in the making of cuttings. Sometimes an eye of the old 

 wood was used, and in most cases union took place and a new shoot arose 

 from the bud. The leaves were usually partly removed from the scion. 



Various styles of grafting were employed, of which the common cleft and 

 the veneer or side graft were perhaps the most satisfactory. In most 

 instances it was only necessary to bind the parts together snugly with bass 

 or raffia. In some soft-wooded plants, like coleus, a covering of common 

 grafting wax over the bandage was an advantage, probably because it pre- 

 vented the drying out of the parts. In some cases, however, wax injured 

 the tissues where it overreached the bandage. Sphagnum moss was used 

 in many cases, tied in a small mass about the union, but unless the parts 

 were well bandaged the scion sent roots into the moss and did not unite ; 

 and in no case did moss appear to possess decided advantages. Best results 

 were obtained by placing the plants at once in a propagating-frame, where 

 a damp and confined atmosphere could be maintained. In some plants, 

 successful unions were made in the open greenhouse, but they were placed 

 in shade and kept sprinkled for a day after the grafts were made. The 

 operations should always be performed quickly to prevent flagging of the 

 scions. Or, if the scions can not be used at once, they may be thrust into 

 sand or moss in the same manner as cuttings, and kept for several days. 

 In one series, tomato and potato cuttings, which had. flagged in the cutting 

 bed, revived when grafted. And cuttings which have been transported in 

 the mail for three days grew readily, but they were in good condition when 

 received. The mealy bugs were particularly troublesome upon these grafted 

 plants, for they delighted to crawl under the bandages and suck the juices 

 from the wounded surfaces. 



Although it is foreign to the purpose of this note, it may be- worth while 

 to mention a few of the plants upon which the experiments were made. 

 Sections were taken of many of the grafts and microscopic examinations 

 made to determine the extent of cell union. Coleuses of many kinds were 

 used, with uniform success, and the scions of some of them were vigorous 

 a year after being set. Even iresine, (better known as Achyranthes Vers- 

 chaffeltii,) united with coleus and grew for a time. Zonale geraniums 

 bloomed upon the common rose geranium. Tomatoes upon potatoes and 

 potatoes upon tomatoes grew well and were transplanted to the open 

 ground, where some of them grew, flowered and fruited until killed by 

 frost. The tomato-on-potato plants bore good tomatoes above and good 

 potatoes beneath, even though no sprouts from the potato stock were 

 allowed to grow. Peppers united with tomatoes and tomatoes united with 

 peppers. Egg plants, tomatoes and peppers grew upon the European husk 

 tomato or alkekengi (Physalis Alkekengi). Peppers and egg plants 

 united with each other reciprocally. A coleus scion was placed upon a 

 tomato plant and was simply bound with raffia. The scion remained green 

 and healthy and at the end of forty-eight days the bandage was removed, 

 but it was found that no union had taken place. Ageratums united upon 



