PEOPAGATION.] 



PExlCTICE OF HOETICULTUEE. 



[geafting. 



introducing a bud of cue tree with a portion 

 of bark adbering to it, below the bark of 

 another tree. In order to accomplish this, a 

 longitudinal incision is made through the bark 

 of the stock down to the wood ; and is then, 

 at the upper end, crossed by a similar cut, so 

 that the marks made bear a resemblauce to the 

 letter T. The bud, with a portion of the bark, 

 is then pared off from the scion, and the back 

 portion pushed below the bark of the stock, 

 until the bud is actually resting on the naked 

 wood of the stock. The upper lips of the 

 incision in the stock, as well as in tlie bud, 

 are made to fit each other, when the whole is 

 iastened down by a ligature of bast applied 

 wet, narrow tape, adhesive straps, or white or 

 green worsted, which completes the operation. 

 The bud should be inserted either when the 

 vegetation of a plant is languid, or the growth 

 above the place of insertion should be arrested 

 by pinching the terminal bud. If this be not 

 done, the sap, which should be impelled 

 into the bud, in order to aid in the process of 

 adhesion, passes on to other parts, and the 

 bud is literally starved to death. Tor similar 

 reasons, when a bud has firmly fixed itself 

 upon a stock, and began to grow, the stock 

 should be headed back neai'ly as far as the 

 bud, with the view of forcing all the ascending 

 current of sap to flow towards it. It is neces- 

 sary that this should be done ; for, if not, 

 the buds of the stock itself will receive the 

 nourishment which ought, more properly, to 

 be given to the stranger. 



In the operations of grafting, there are also 

 some very essential points to be attended to. 

 Dr. Lindley says, it is always found that 

 a union between the scion and the stock 

 occurs most readily when the latter is headed 

 down : but as he is here thoroughly practical, 

 we will take the liberty of quoting his own 

 words. " The scion," he says, " should always 

 be so prepared that a bud is near the point of 

 union between itself and the stock ; because, 

 such a bud, as soon as it begins to grow, as- 

 sists in the formation of wood, and, also, in 

 binding the two together. The scion should 

 be more backward in its vegetation than the 

 stock, because it will then be less excitable ; 

 otherwise its buds may begin to grow before a 

 fitting communication is established between 

 the stock and scion, and the latter will be ex- 

 946 



hausted by its own vigour. If, on the con- 

 trary, the stock is in a state of incipient 

 growth, and the scion torpid, cellular granu- 

 lations will have time to form and unite the 

 wound ; and the scion will become distended 

 with sap forced into it from the stock, and 

 thus be able to keep its buds alive when they 

 begin to shoot into branches. In order to 

 assist in this part of the operation, a ' heel' is 

 sometimes, in difiicult cases, left on a scion, 

 and inserted into a vessel of water, until the 

 union has taken place ; or, for the same pur- 

 pose, the scion is bound round with loose 

 string, or linen, with one end steeped in water, 

 so as to secure a supply of water to the scion 

 by the capillary attraction of such a bandage. 

 Indeed, the ordinary practice of surrounding 

 the scion and stock at the point of contact 

 with a mass of grafting clay, is intended for 

 the same purpose ; that is to say, to prevent 

 evaporation from the surface of the scion, and 

 to aftord a small supply of moisture ; and 

 hence, among other things, the superiority of 

 clay over the plaisters, mcstics, and cements 

 occasionally employed, which simply arrest 

 perspiration, and can never assist in commu- 

 nicating aqueous food to the scion." 



In concluding our remarks upon this por- 

 tion of our subject, we give the following 

 recipes, from Dr. Lindley's work, for making 

 grafting-wax : — 1. Bees'-wax and tallow, equal 

 parts, laid on warm with a painter's brush. 

 2. Four proportions by weight of pitch, four of 

 resin, two of bees'-wax, one of hog's lard, and 

 one of turpentine, melted and well mixed. 

 When this, or some similar composition, is 

 spread on brown paper, it forms grafting- 

 paper, as it is sometimes termed, which, being 

 cut into slips, can easily be applied. — Another 

 substitute for grafting-clay is sheet india- 

 rubber, cut into narrow strips or ban- 

 dages, from one-half to three-quarters of an 

 inch broad. The india-rubber is said to 

 possess all the requisites sought for in clay. 

 It is air-tight and water-tight, and will not 

 fall away ; it is, also, elastic, which admits of 

 the swelling of the scion in its growth ; and it 

 is applied with great ease and rapidity. 

 After wrapping the bandage round the gralt 

 and stock, as a linen bandage is applied to a 

 cut finger, the last turn only requires securing, 

 by tying w^ith a piece of thread or thin bast. 



