138 



The stock should be a well-rooted 

 plant, fixed in the soil, mth a stem 

 of at least as great a diameter as 

 that of the scion, but the stem may 

 be much larger, and of several years' 

 growth. Grafting is commonly 

 limited to woody plants, and it is 

 only within certain limits that it 

 can be performed. To be united 

 together by grafting, it is necessary 

 that the plants be of the same 

 nature ; and, generally, that they 

 be of the same genus or family ; 

 though, in some cases, all the genera 

 of a tribe will gi-aft on one another. 

 Thus, any kind of Camellia may be 

 grafted on any other kind of 

 Camellia or Tea Tree, but not on 

 any other genus ; while any kind of 

 Pyrus may not only be grafted on 

 any other kind of P}^rus, but also 

 on Cratse'gus, Mespilus, Sorbus, 

 Cydonia, and perhaps several others. 



The primary cause is probably to 

 be found in the organisation of the 

 respective tissues of the plants, 

 those uniting which are alike ; but 

 as this can ouly be determined by 

 microscopic observation, and only 

 then by the most acute vegetable 

 anatomists, the safe rule in practice 

 is to limit our attempts at grafting 

 to species of the same genus. 



The uses of grafting are various. 

 By grafting a weak-growing species 

 or variety on a strong-growing kind, 

 the weak -growing variety becomes 

 more vigorous ; and, consequently, 

 a large and handsome plant is much 

 sooner produced than could be done 

 by layers, cuttings or seeds. On 

 the contrary, by grafting a strong- 

 grovnng plant on a weak, low, or 

 slow-growing stock, dwarf plants 

 are produced, and thus specimens 

 of large trees may be obtained 

 within a very limited space. Plants 

 may be propagated by grafting that 

 cannot be increased readily by any 

 other mode : as is the case with 



common fruit-trees. The shoots of 

 seedling plants grafted on a stock of 

 several years' growth, will sooner 

 produce blossoms and fruit than 

 when left to grow on their own 

 roots. 



There are various kinds of graft- 

 ing ; but they are all founded on 

 this essential condition, viz., that 

 the inner bark of the scion should 

 be closely united to the inner bark 

 of the stock. Where the scion and 

 the stock are of the same thickness, 

 this may be done at both edges ; 

 but where the stock is thicker than 

 the scion, it can only be done at one 

 edge, which, however, is found 

 sufficient. The kinds of grafting 

 best adapted for ladies, are the 

 common splice, or whip-grafting ; 

 slit or cleft-grafting ; side-grafting ; 

 and inarching. 



WJtip or splice-grafting, is repre- 

 sented in fg. 19, in which a is the 



FIG. 19. — WHIP, OR SPLICE-GRAFTIKG. 



scion, and 6 is the stock. In this 

 case both scion and stock are of the 

 same thickness ; both are cut slant- 

 ing, so as exactly to fit ; and there 

 is a dovetail notch in the stock for 

 the scion to rest on. When the scion 



