180 AMERICAN GARDENER. 



281. GRAFTING is the joining of a cutting 

 of one to another tree in such a way as that the 

 tree, on which the cutting is placed, sends up its 

 sap into the cutting, and makes it grow and be- 

 come a tree. Now, as to the way, in which this, 

 and the way in which buddi?ig, is done, they can- 

 not, upon any principle consistent with common 

 sense, become matter of written description. 

 Each is a mechanical operation, embracing nu- 

 merous movements of the arms, hands, and 

 fingers, and is no more to be taught by written di- 

 rections than the making of a chest of drawers is. 

 To read a full and minute account of the act, 

 of budding and grafting would require ten times 

 the space of time that it requires to go to a neigh- 

 bour's and learn, from a sight of the operation* 

 that which, after all, no written directions would 

 ever teach. To bud and graft, in all the various 

 modes, form a much nicer and more complicated 

 operation than that of making a shoe ; and I defy 

 any human being to describe adequately all the 

 several acts in the making of a shoe, in less than 

 two volumes each larger than this. The season 

 for taking' off' the cuttings for grafts, is any time 

 betwen Christmas and March. Any time after 

 the sap is completely in a quiescent state and be- 

 fore it be again in motion. When cut off they 

 will keep several months. I cut some here in 

 January last (1819). They reached England in 

 March ; and, I hear that they were growing well 

 in June. A great deal has been said about the 

 season for grafting, and Mr. MARSHALL tells 

 the English, that it must not be done till the sap 

 in the stock is just ready to flow freely. He had 

 never seen an American Negro-man sitting by a 



