MARCH] THE NURSERY. 261 



stocks ; but this is improper for any general practice, not being so 

 successful, and never producing so good fruit, as if grafted on stocks 

 of their own family. 



Cherries are propagated by grafting or budding them upon stocks 

 raised from the stones of the common black or red cherry, or upon 

 stocks raised from the stones of any other kind of the same fruit ; 

 but the first two are most esteemed for that purpose, because they 

 generally shoot much freer than any other. 



Plums are grafted or budded on stocks raised by sowing the seeds 

 of any or either of the plum kinds ; but those raised from the vigor- 

 ous growing sorts are most preferable ; they are also grafted on stocks 

 raised from suckers, but such should not be used unless when seed- 

 ling stocks cannot be had. Plums will likewise take on the apricot, 

 but then the trees are not permanent. 



The apricot proves the most durable on stocks of the plum kind. 

 It will also grow on its own, and on peach and almond stocks } but 

 on either of the last two it will not be durable. 



For peaches and nectarines, several sorts of stocks are occasionally 

 used ; such as plum, peach, almond, and apricot stocks, all raised 

 from the stones of the fruit, and the first kind from layers and suck- 

 ers also. If a plum could be procured of such vigorous growth as 

 to keep pace with the peach, it would be an acquisition of infinite 

 importance; for on such, the peach would be as permanent as the 

 plum itself. In Europe, all their peach-trees are worked on the 

 plum ; but with us, the growth of the peach is so rapid as in a few 

 years to overgrow the stock, when wrought on any of the kinds of 

 plum which we have yet procured. The kind particularly selected 

 for this purpose in Europe is the muscle plum. 



Almonds will take and grow on any stock which answers for the 

 peach. 



Medlars will grow on either medlar, white-thorn, pear, or quince 

 stocks ; but those of its own genera are preferable. 



Filberts will succeed by budding or grafting on the common hazel- 

 nut tree, raised either from the nuts or by suckers from the roots. 



The first thing to be done towards this work is to select the grafts, 

 in the choice of which, the following directions should be observed. 

 1st. That they are shoots of the former year ; for, when they are 

 older, they never succeed well. 2d. Always to take them from 

 healthy fruitful trees ; for, if the trees from which they are taken be 

 sickly, the grafts very often partake so much of the distemper, as 

 rarely to get the better of it, at least for some years ; and when they 

 are taken from young luxuriant trees whose vessels are generally 

 large, they will continue to produce strong shoots, but will be a long 

 time coming into bearing, and are seldom so productive, as those 

 which are taken from fruitful trees whose shoots are more compact, 

 joints closer together, and whose system is already organized for 

 bearing. 3d. You should prefer those grafts which are taken from 

 the lateral or horizontal branches, to those from the strong perpen- 

 dicular shoots, for the reasons before given. 



When your grafts are cut off, open shallow trenches in a dry shel- 

 tered situation, and place them thinly therein, with their cut ends 



