ic May, 1911-] Pro-pagation of Fruit Trees. 339 



of the same species and more suitable to soil conditions and climate ; also 

 to dwarf certain kinds of fruits by working upon stocks of slower growth ; 

 and, to overcome certain diseases that attack the roots of some varieties, by 

 working upon other varieties immune from attack. 



The theory of grafting and budding may be stated to be the power of 

 union between the young tissues of the graft or bud and the growing 

 wood. When the parts are placed together the ascending sap of the stock 

 passes into and sustains life in the scion. The buds excited by this sup- 

 ply of sap begin to elaborate and send down woody matter which, passing 

 through the newly granulated substance (callus), unites the scion firmly 

 with the stock. Budding is performed while the stocks are in full foliage, 

 or, in other words, fully vegetative. The union is swifter with the bud, 

 than with the scion, i.e., if the work is perform(-d skilfully and under 

 proper conditions. 



The operations of the propagator are limited. A scion or bud from one 

 tree will not, from the want of affinity, succeed upon all others — but only 

 upon those to which it is allied. Although an evergreen, the loquat, which 

 belongs to the rose family {Rosacea), does well and comes into bearing 

 much earlier by working it upon the quince, which also belongs to the 

 Rosacece. The pear is also included in the same order. 



In France, which may well be termed the hub of horticulture, numer- 

 ous methods of grafting are practised, those stocks which adapt them- 

 selves best to certain soil and other conditions being used. In floriculture 

 the French use the common Margaret daisy {Chrysanthemum frutescens) 

 as a stock for grafting the larger flowering varieties upon, i.e., where both 

 position and soil are dry. Many annuals are also successfully grafted, 

 firafting is far from being a modern method of propagation ; we learn 

 from earlv writers that it was known and practised bv the ancient Greeks 

 and Romans. 



Improvement in Methods and Material. 



It is the intention to deal with only those methods of grafting and 

 budding which the writer considers to be the quickest, neatest, surest, and 

 best, for producing a high standard of young fruit trees and stocks, that 

 will not only be creditable to the producer or propagator, but a valued as.set 

 to the orchardist or planter. Nothing is more disappointing to find, after 

 years of waiting and careful attention, that, through faulty propagation 

 methods being adopted, one has to replant a fresh selection of trees 

 just when the former lot ought to become remuneratixe. No person hav- 

 ing anv interest in fruit-growing should be ignorant of the best methods of 

 propngating voung fruit trees, or be unable to perform the operation of 

 grafting and budding. Ignorance upon such matters is far too common 

 in a fruit-producing State like ours. 



DuriTig the past twenty years in Victoria tlure have been several new 

 departures, to the advantage f)f the grower, regarding the class of stocks 

 used for propagating upon. For instance, instead of the suckering Mussel 

 plum, we have the La France " Myrobolan," a variety of cherry plum, 

 and another variety called Mariana. Both are suckerless and easily pro 

 pngated from cuttings; also, instead of the useless suckering pear sttx'k. 

 there is the .selected non-suckering seedling. 



There has also been a big improvement in th<- niati'ri;d used for l)ind- 

 ing the buds and grafts. Instead of calico, torn into narrow stri|)s, or 

 threads <lrawn from looselv woven bags, we now have raffia, obtained 

 from the It-aves of the Raffia Palm {Raphia fcdiiticidata. Beanv. ). It is 

 a boon to propagators, being ilieap. strong, and easy to tie. 



