30 PLANTING. 



Duke of Bedford's, Russelliana. 



weeping, Babylon ica. 



round leaved, Capera. 



gray, Cincria. 



crack, Frazrilis. 



spear leaved, Hastata. 



common, //<//.r. 



fine stemmed or smooth leaved, pentandria. 



triandrous, triandra. 



golden osier, vitellina*. 



1th. Grafting in forest-tree propagation, is chiefly had recourse to for 

 those varieties of trees which lose their distinctive characters when repro- 

 duced from seed, and which make finer trees when grafted on free grow- 

 ing stocks of their own species. The scionsf take more freely when not 

 more than of one year's growth, but those of much older growth will succeed. 

 The most perfect grafting is where the scion and the part of the stock to 

 which it is to be united are nearly of an equal size, for on the perfect con- 

 tact of the inner bark of the scion and stock depend the perfect union of 

 the. two in the shortest space of time, and consequent equal healing of the 

 wound. The month of March is the best season for forest-tree grafting. 

 The modes of grafting are numerous. French authors enumerate up- 

 wards of forty ; for the purposes now under consideration, however, that 

 termed whip or tongue grafting is generally followed. The scions should 

 be selected from the more upright, free-growing branches j the middle 

 portion of the shoot is the best; but where there is a scarcity of grafts, the 

 top and bottom may be used, as these will succeed, though not likely to 

 produce such fine trees. From two to five buds should be left for the 

 production of a leading stem and branches. The stock should be cut in 

 tin oblique directionj(#, fig. 4), and the scion in like manner at a corre- 

 j sponding angle (b) ; a slit should then be made in the 

 f"J- ** ' stoc k about the middle of the wound, passing down- 



: wards (c), and a similar slit upwards in the scion (rf) ; 

 the upper division of the scion made by the slit, termed 

 the tojtgue or wedge, is then inserted into the cleft of 

 the stock, and the inner barks of the stock and scion 

 brought into perfect contact, at least on one side. This 

 jj>hoiild be effected with as little delay as possible. The 

 parts are then to be bound with a riband of bass, and 

 particular care should be taken that, in this part of the 

 process, the junction of the two barks is not in the 

 least displaced. To protect the grafted parts from 

 drought and moisture, and from the action of the air, \arious means have 

 been adopted, but the most direct and useful is well-worked clay, cleaned 

 ra\el or small stones, and horse-droppings, well incorporated and 

 mixed in the proportions of three parts of the former to one of the latter; 

 a little finely-chopped straw is added with advantage. The clay should he 



* Tliis numerous and highly interesting tribe of t'oivst \ Lints, from the useful and 

 varied projxjrties which tin: different species evidently possess, demand more of the notice 

 of the. forest planter than they have yet received. The extensive and important trials in- 

 stituted hy .John Duke cf Hedfonl, now in progress, to investigate the comparative, merit 

 of all the dill of willows, will afford much useful information on the subject. 



f Scions may lie separated from the parent stock some time before grafting, without 

 suffering injury from being kept, but the root-ends should l>e placed in earth to prevent 

 the bark from shrivelling. The ascent of the sap in the stock being more advanced in the 

 stock than in the graft, is sometimes advantageous. 



