88 



Commercial Gardening 



Root Grafting". Many plants are propagated by inserting a short 

 shoot in a root of a relative or by side grafting. Most of the Tree Pseonies 

 are raised by inserting a shoot in a cleft of a tuberous root of Pceonia 

 officinalis, making the edges fit flush on one side, and then tying them 

 up with raffia, &c. Shoots of Wistaria are also inserted in the fleshy roots 

 of the same plant, as shown in fig. 82, while garden 

 varieties of Clematis are grafted in thousands on the 

 roots of the common C. Vitalba. 



Inarching* or Grafting 1 by Approach. This method 

 of propagation was, no doubt, suggested originally by the 

 fact that boughs of trees that rub against each other and 

 wear away the bark become united later on by means 

 of their cambium layers. Inarching is thus a kind of 

 grafting, but differs in that each of the plants to be united 

 is growing on its own roots. It is often practised on Vines. 

 A shoot of a desirable variety is cut and tongued on one 

 side to fit into a similar cut and tongue on the undesirable 

 one that may be worth retaining on account of its state of 

 development, and to avoid replanting and remaking of the 

 borders. When the inarched shoot has become firmly 

 united it is severed from its own feeding base, while the 

 stock to which it is attached has the portion above the 

 inarched scion also cut away, thus leaving the lower portion 

 of the stem and the roots. In this way a new variety 

 takes the place of the old one without much trouble. 



Bottle grafting" is a form of inarching, and has been 

 practised in connection with Oranges, Vines, Oleanders, and 

 other woody-stemmed plants. A ripened shoot is taken, 

 say of a Vine, about 1 ft. long. It is cut about 4 or 5 in. 

 long, and tongued on one side about the middle, to tit 

 into a corresponding cut and tongue on the stock. It is tied on securely, 

 but the base of the shoot is stuck into a bottle of water. The latter 

 should be replenished from time to time, fresh rainwater being preferred, 

 and a few lumps of charcoal may be put in to keep it fresh for a longer 

 period. [j. W.] 



Fig. 82. Boot 

 Grafting Wistaria 



A, Shoot inserted in 

 root B and tied. 



