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GR A 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



G R A 



graft on, and the tree from which you take your grafts, stand 

 so near together, that they may be joined ; this is to be per- 

 formed in the month of April, and is also called inarching, 

 and is chiefly used for Jasmines, Oranges, and other tender 

 exotic trees. 5. Grafting in the root; which is of later in- 

 vention than any of the former ways, and in many circum- 

 stances maybe an improvement of them all. The season for 

 grafting must be regulated by the weather : our climate is so 

 uncertain in the spring, that it is better to defer it till the 

 circulation of the sap is brisk, and the buds of the stocks are 

 beginning to break into leaves, observing only, that the weak 

 shoots of tender trees will not admit of being so long cut as 

 the more hardy : it is indispensably necessary never to graft 

 while it actually freezes or rains. We come next to the man- 

 ner of performing the several ways of grafting: The first 

 method, which is termed rind or shoulder grafting, is seldom 

 practised, except upon large trees, where either the heads or 

 the large branches are cut off horizontally, and two or four 

 cions put in, according to the size of the branch or stem; in 

 doing this, the cions are cut flat on one side, with a shoulder 

 to rest upon the crown of the stock, then the rind of the 

 stock must be raised up, to admit the cion between the 

 wood and the bark of the stock, which must be inserted 

 about two inches, so as the shoulder of the cion may meet, 

 and closely join the crown of the stock ; and after the num- 

 ber of cions are inserted, the whole crown of the stock 

 should be well clayed over, leaving two eyes of the cions 

 uncovered therewith, which will be sufficient for shooting : 

 this method of grafting was much more in practice formerly 

 than at present; the discontinuance of it was occasioned by 

 the ill success it was attended with, for as these cions were 

 placed between the rind of the stock and the wood, they 

 were frequently blown out by strong winds, after they had 

 made large shoots, which has sometimes happened after five 

 or six years' growth, so that whenever this method is prac- 

 tised, there should be some stakes fastened to support the 

 cions, until they have almost covered the stock. The next 

 method is termed cleft or stock grafting; this is practised 

 upon stocks, trees, or branches, of a smaller size, as from one 

 to two inches in diameter, and may be used with success 

 where the rind of the stock is not too thick, which would 

 prevent the inner bark of the cion from joining that of the 

 stock. The head of the stock or branch may be cut off with 

 a slope, and a slit made the contrary way, in the top of the 

 slope, deep enough to receive the cion, which should be cut 

 sloping like a wedge, so as to fit the slit made in the stock, 

 being careful to leave that side of the wedge which is to be 

 placed outward much thicker than the other: in putting the 

 cion into the slit of the stock, there must be great care to join 

 the rind of the cion to that of the stock, for if these do not 

 unite, the grafts will not succeed: when this method of graft- 

 ing is used to stocks which are not strong, it will be proper 

 to make a ligature of bass, to prevent the slit of the stock 

 from opening; then the whole should be clayed over, to pre- 

 vent the air from penetrating the slit, so as to destroy the 

 grafts, only leaving two eyes of the cions above the clay 

 for shooting. The third method is termed whip or tongue 

 grafting ; which is the most commonly practised by the 

 nursery-men, especially for small stocks, or branches of an 

 inch, half an inch, or less, because the cions much sooner 

 cover the stocks in this method than in any other. This 

 is performed by cutting off" the head of the stocks sloping ; 

 then there must be a notch made in the slope towards the 

 upper part downwards, a little more than half an inch 

 deep, to receive, the cion, which must be cut with a slope 

 upward, and a slit made in this slope like a tongue, which 



which tongue must be inserted into the slit made in the 

 slope of the stock, and the cion must be placed on one 

 side of the stock, so as that the two rinds of both cion and 

 stock may be equal, and join together exactly ; then there 

 should be a ligature of bass to fasten the cion so as that it 

 may not be easily displaced ; it should lastly be clayed 

 over, as in the former methods. The fourth sort of grafting, 

 termed inarching, grafting by approach, or ablactation, is 

 only to be performed when the stocks, which are designed 

 to be grafted, and the tree from which the graft is to be 

 taken, stand so near together, or may be brought so near 

 together, as that their branches may be bent and united ; 

 this method of grafting is commonly practised on tender 

 exotic plants, and some other sorts, which do not succeed by 

 any of the former methods. In performing this operation, a 

 part of the stock or branch must be slit off about two inches 

 in length, observing always to choose a smooth part of the 

 stock ; then a small notch should be made down in this slit 

 of the stock, in the same manner as has been directed for 

 whip-grafting ; then the branch of the tree designed to be 

 inarched, should have a part slit off in like manner as the 

 stock, and a slit made upward in this, so as to leave a tongue, 

 which tongue should be inserted into the slit of the stock, 

 observing to join their rinds equally, that they may unite 

 well together; then make a ligature of bass, to keep them 

 exactly in their situat-ion, and afterward clay this part of the 

 stock over well, to keep out the air. In this mode of graft- 

 ing, the cion is not separated from the tree until it is firmly 

 united to the stock, nor is the head of the stock or branch, 

 which is grafted, cut off till this time, and only half the wood 

 pared off with a slope, about three inches in length, and the 

 same of the cion or graft. This method of grafting is per- 

 formed later in the season that the others ; it is generally 

 undertaken in the month of April, when the sap is flowing, 

 at which time the cion and stock will join together, and 

 unite much sooner than at any other season. The Walnut, 

 Fig, and Mulberry, will take by this method of grafting, and 

 will not succeed by any other: there are also several sorts 

 of Evergreens, which may be propagated by this method of 

 grafting; but all the trees which are grafted in this way are 

 weaker, and never grow to the size of those which are grafted 

 in the other methods; therefore this is rarely practised, but 

 on those trees which will not take by any other method. 

 The fifth mode, root-grafting, is performed by cutting the 

 clean smooth roots of the stocks in pieces five or six inches 

 long, and as large or a little larger than the graft ; let them 

 be whip-grafted, and tied together very close, so as to prevent 

 the wet from affecting the wounded parts ; and plant them 

 so deep, that the graft, which should be four or five inches 

 long, may be about half buried. By this method the grafts 

 themselves will root, and preserve a nearer similitude of the 

 tree from whence they were taken ; and after two or three 

 years the stock may be cut quite away, and the graft left to 

 maintain itself. In practising this method, the grafts maybe 

 an inch or two longer than is directed for the others. The 

 next thing necessary to be known by those who would prac- 

 tise this art, is, what trees will take and thrive by being 

 grafted upon each other. No correct directions have hi- 

 therto been given by any of the numerous writers upon this 

 subject, whose works strangely abound with radical mistakes; 

 but as it would swell this interesting article beyond all 

 bounds, were all the sorts of trees which will take upon each 

 other by grafting to be here enumerated ; we shall only give 

 such general rules as will be sufficient to ensure the succes 

 of those persons who observe them. All trees of the same 

 genus, that is, which agree in their flower and fruit, will take 



