18 



PROPAGATION OF VARIETIES. 



sorts of Apple ; next with the different species of a geuus, as the Ap])lti 

 and the Pear, which grow, but in which the union is less complete and 

 permanent ; and lastly with the genera of the same natural family, as the 

 Cherry on the PJum, which die after a season or two. The ancients 

 boasted of Yines and Apples grafted on Poplars and Elms ; but repeated 

 experiments, by the most skilful cultivators of modern times, have ciearlv 

 proved that although Ave may, once in a thousand trials, succeed in effect- 

 ing those ill-assorted unions, yet the graft invariably dies after a few 

 months' growth,* 



The range in grafting or budding, for fruit-trees in ordmary culture, 

 is as the following : Apples, on apple or crab seedlings for orchards 

 (standards), or on Paradise apple stocks, for dwarfs ; Pears, on pear 

 seedlings for common culture, or Quince stocks for dwarfs, and some- 

 times on the thorn for claye}' soils ; Peaches, on their own seedlings for 

 standards or for orchards ; on Almonds, for hot and dry climates ; on 

 Plums in cold or moist soils, or to secure them against the worm; Apri- 

 cots, on Plum stocks, to render them hardy and productive, or on their 

 own seedlings to render them long-lived. Nectarines are usually worked 

 on the Peach or Plum; and Cherries on mazard seedlings, or on the per- 

 fmned Cherry, and on the morello for forming half dwarfs. 



The manual oj'ieration of grafting is performed in a 

 very easy and complete manner when the size of the stock, or 

 branch to be grafted, corresponds precisely with that of the 

 scion. In this case, which is called splice-grafting , it is 

 only necessary with a smooth sloping cut, upwards on the 

 stock a, and downwards on the scion 6, Fig 2, to make 

 the two fit px'ecisely, so that the inner bark of one corre- 

 sponds exactly with that of the other, to bind them firmly 

 together with a strand of matting, and to cover the wound 

 entirely with grafting clay or wax, and the whole is fin- 

 ished. In this, which is one of the neatest modes, the 

 whole forms a complete union nearly at once, leaving 

 scarcely any wounded part to heal over. But, as it is 

 only rarely that the stock is of so small a size as to fit 

 thus perfectly to the scion, the operation must be varied 

 somewhat, and requii-es more skill. The method in most 

 common iise to cover all ditiiculties is called tongue 

 grafting. 



We may remark here that grafting the shoots of 

 SpUce-Grafting. pg^ches, Nectarines, and Apricots, OA^dng to their largo 

 pith, is more difiicult than that of other fruit-trees. A variation of 

 splice-grafting. Fig. 3, Las been invented to obviate this. This consists 

 in selecting the scion o., so as to leave at its lower end about a fourth of 

 an inch of two years old wood, which is much firmer. The bottom of 



* The classical horticulturist will not fail to recall to mind Pliny"s account of 

 the ti'ee in the garden of LncuUus, grafted in such a manner as to bear Olives, 

 Ahnonds, Apples, Pears, Pkims, Figs, and Grapes. There is little doubt, how- 

 ever, that this was some ingenious deception, as to this day the Italian gardeners 

 pretend to sell Jasmines, Honeysuckles, etc. , growing tog-ether and grafted on 

 Oranges and Pomegranates. This is ingeniously managed, for a short-lived 

 effect, by introducing the stems of these smaller })lants through a hole bored up 

 the centre of the stock of the trees — their roots being in the same soil, and their 

 stems, which after a little growth fill up these holes, appearing as if really 

 grafted. 



