124 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In almost every case the grafting of deciduous plants on ever- 

 greens has proved a failure. It is always best to unite by grafting 

 only such plants as have some analogy between them, such as vigor, 

 time of commencing to grow, and hardiness. If any difference 

 exists it should be that the graft be later than the stock in vegetat- 

 ing, and also more vigorous and hardy. Weak stocks and weak 

 scions produce worthless trees. When a weak scion is grafted on 

 too vigorous a tree it is difficult for the scion to absorb all the sap 

 furnished by the stock, and an evenness of gi'owth cannot be 

 established between the stock and the graft ; then follow weak- 

 ness and disease. It is preferable to have the scion stronger than 

 the stock ; for instance, the pear on the quince and the cherry on 

 the Mahaleb ; otherwise the tree will be less vigorous than if 

 perfect harmony exists between the two parts, and growth being 

 thus tempered tends more to the production of fruit. The French 

 often double-graft a tree to make its growth more uniform ; for 

 instance, a strong-growing stock is grafted with one of an inter- 

 mediate growth, and on the latter the variety they wish to propa- 

 gate ; the stock should always be strong enough to receive the 

 scion, for if it is weakly, although the graft and stock may unite, 

 it will almost always make a sickly tree. 



Practical Directions. — The term grafting is usually confined to 

 the operation with detached scions ; and in every kind of grafting it 

 is essential that the two parts (the scion and the stock) be in close 

 communication with each other, not by the wood or bark, but by 

 the inner bark or alburnum in the tissue of which the cambium 

 flows. The more points of contact here the greater the chance of 

 success, which also will be assisted by a similarity of texture 

 between the scion and the stock. 



The best season for grafting out of doors is in the spring, when 

 the sap is in motion (say from March to June) ; and for grafting 

 under glass, from the first of August to the last of September, 

 with half-ripened wood ; in December and to the last of 

 March, with dormant wood. During the midsummer days grafting 

 either in doors or out is not often a success, although with great 

 care it might be accomplished the year round. In all kinds of 

 grafting it is better to have the stock started a little ahead of the 

 scion, and it is not safe to graft out of doors with scions that are 

 started unless you can cover up or shade them ; for the evapora- 

 tion that takes place at this time weakens the scion too much 



