1900.] ESSAYS. 59 



much in appearance. But the grafting of deciduous trees or 

 plants on those that are evergreen has in almost every case been 

 attempted in vain. 



I have spoken of that form of grafting that is called double 

 working. There are two advantages gained from it. One is 

 the saving of a part of the time and expense incurred in growing- 

 trees which, when the fruit is tested, prove worthless ; another 

 variety well known and proved can be grafted in and much time 

 be saved, and usually a superior quality of fruit be obtained. 

 On the list of finest fruits are some which grown in the ordinary 

 way, or single worked, will take many years to arrive at bear- 

 ing age. This time may often be shortened half and more than 

 half by grafting into some variety of robust growth though of 

 inferior fruit, but which seems to have some special affinity for 

 the superior fruit bearing variety. In this form of grafting, we 

 may sometimes see wood that single worked on the common 

 stock used for all of that class of trees, will only grow a few 

 inches a year, when doubled or, for illustration, cleft grafted 

 on to a stock that had in turn been budded on to a thorn stock, 

 it will often grow as many feet double worked as it did inches 

 single worked, and fruit obtained in five years superior to that 

 borne in fifteen the other way. 



In every form of grafting the two parts grafted should be in 

 perfect contact by means of the new and inner bark, in the tissue 

 of which the sap Hows. The more points of contact, the more 

 likelihood of a complete union ; and the less time between the 

 cutting of stock and the waxing of the scion, or the tieing of the 

 bud, the better the results to be expected. Great care should 

 be taken in the selection of the bud or scion, that they come 

 from a pure source, from the healthy branch of a healthy and 

 vigorous tree, to prevent the degeneration of species and vari- 

 eties. A bud from a sickly peach tree will make the future tree 

 weak, tender and short lived. 



While there are many forms of grafting, they may be grouped 

 into three great divisions; viz., grafting by detached buds or 

 budding with detached scions, and by approach where the scion 

 remains attached to the parent plant while it is being joined to 



