MARCH] THE NURSERY. 26 T 



Here it will be well to observe that grafting is frequently done, 

 and very often with good success, without the assistance of grafting- 

 clay or any other prepared composition. The method is this: head 

 down your stocks near the surface of the ground, and graft them as 

 low as you possibly can ; bind them neatly, as in other cases, and 

 draw the earth over the crowns of the stocks, so as to let one or two 

 of the buds of each scion appear ; look to them frequently, and if 

 the earth sinks so as to expose the crowns of the stocks, cover them 

 up again. 



When the scions are sufficiently taken, clear off the earth, unbind 

 the bandages, and then replace it as before. Trees grafted in this 

 way may afterwards be trained up, either for standards, half stand- 

 ards, espaliers or wall trees, at pleasure. 



It sometimes happens that persons are under the necessity, in 

 spring, of removing some stocks, when in the way of other business ; 

 in which case they are frequently taken into the house, and grafted in 

 any method most convenient, then planted immediately : this is called 

 by gardeners fire-side grafting, and often proves tolerably successful; 

 but I would not recommend it, except in cases of necessity. 



GRAFTING BY APPROACH, OR INARCHING. 



This method of grafting is performed only when the stock and the 

 tree from which you mean to propagate, either grow, or can be placed 

 so near each other, that the intended graft may be brought to ap- 

 proach and join the stock, forming therewith, when grafted, a kind 

 of arch, and not to be separated from the mother plant till a perfect 

 union is formed: hence its name. 



When intended to propagate any tree or shrub by this method, 

 if of a hardy nature, and growing in the open ground, the requisite 

 quantity of young plants for stocks should be planted around it, and 

 when grown of a proper size or height, the work performed : or, if 

 the branches of the tree designed to graft from, are too high for the 

 stocks, these must be planted in pots (if a year previous to the ope- 

 ration, the better), and placed upon a temporary stage erected around 

 the tree of sufficient height to answer the purpose. 



In performing this work, make choice of a smooth part of the stock, 

 and with which the intended graft can be conveniently brought to 

 meet, marking on each the place of junction ; then cut away the bark 

 and a part of the wood, from two to three inches in length, both of 

 the stock and scion ; after which, make a slit upwards in the scion, 

 so as to form a tongue, and another downwards in the stock, as di- 

 rected for whip-grafting, and insert the one into the other, making 

 all parts fit in an exact manner, particularly the rinds or barks, and 

 tie them closely together with bass ; after which, cover the whole 

 with a due quantity of grafting clay, as directed in the other methods. 

 In this mode of grafting, the scion is not separated from the tree 

 until it is firmly united with the stock, nor is the head of the latter 

 generally cut off till this time, though it is sometimes performed with 

 the head of the stock cut off, under the idea that its whole efforts 



