14 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



forfeit to the use of the Commonwealth, a sum 

 not more than one hundred dollars, in addition to 

 the amount of any bounty he may have received, 

 to be recovered by indictment in any court proper 

 to try the same. 



Section 5. This act shall take effect in thirty 

 days from the time of passing the same, and con- 

 tinue in force during the term of seven years from 

 the time of its going into operation, and an act 

 entitled ' An Act to encourage the reeling and 

 throwing of Silk,' passed the seventh day of 

 April in the year one thousand eight hundred and 

 thirtyfive be, and the same hereby is, repealed, 

 but nothing herein contained shall affect the right 

 of any person entitled to any premium under th3 

 said act. 



Section 6. The provisions of this act shall not 

 apply to bodies politic and corporate." 



Approved by the Governor, 11th April, 1836. 



GRAFTING. 



A great number of different modes of grafting 

 are practised, and minute directions are given in 

 books on gardening for performing the work. 

 The young beginner is generally more bewildeied 

 than instructed by the multiplicity of these direc- 

 tions, unless he untlcrstands the rationale. By 

 reducing the operation in all its modifications to 

 its first principles, it will become greatly simplified, 

 ;":'.jil tlio necessary particulars for success at once 

 III !-i<too(l. 



in order to cause an adhesion between the graft 

 and stock, it '>: 'equisite, first, that the sap which 

 Mows upwards. Jirough tlie wood, shouid'be able 

 to pass uninterrupted at the place of tlieir junc- 

 tion. Hence the parts of both inust he cut so as to 

 be placed in close contact. Secondly, it is neces- 

 sary that the juices, in returning through the liber, 

 (or inner portion of the bark,) should jmss unin- 

 terrupted from the graft Lo the stock. Hence these 

 parts also m'st be placed exactly in contact. — 

 Thirdly, it is necessary tliat the newly formed 

 woody fibres which descend from the buds of the 

 graft, and which serve to connect the two parts 

 together, should pass freely from one part to tlie 

 other ; and also that ihe cambium, or soft substance 

 betweenahe bark and the wood, which serves as 

 food for these young descending fibres, should be 

 continued at this point of junction. Hence the 

 line of separation bettveen the bark and the wood, 

 should, both in stock and graft, be accurately adjust- 

 ed. On the accuracy with which these three parts 

 of the operation are performed, the success mainly 

 depends. And if these are attended to, it is im- 

 niateria! how great a variety of modes are adopted. 

 The most inexperienced and unskiiful hand, if 

 care is taken u. tl,ese particulars, could scarcely 

 fail. 



Although any mode of grafting would succeed 



if the above precautions were observed, yet con- 

 venience generally points out some particular one, 

 adapted to the circumstances of the case. The 

 most expeditious method of performing the opera- 

 tion when small stocks are to be grafted, is by 

 whip grafting. This is the mode generally adopt- 

 ed in nurseries. It is performed thus. The stock 

 and the graft are both cut off obliquely, or sloping, 

 so as to leave a cut surface of about an inch in 

 length. The degree of slope should be the same 

 in both, as nearly as the operator can guess. If 

 the cut is made by a single stroke of a sharp 

 knife, the parts may be brought together more 

 closely. Next make a slit in the middle of the 

 cut face of the stock, downwards, about half an 

 inch, and a corresponding one in the graft, up- 

 wards. Now by pressing them together, the 

 tongue and slit will mutually lock together. — 

 Then, taking care not to displace them, tie them 

 closely together with bass matting, corn husk, or 

 other soft ligature, apply the plaster, and the work 

 is done. When the graft begins to grow, remove 

 this ligature to prevent its cutting in. Where this 

 mode of grafting is adopted, it is desirable that 

 the stock and the graft be of nearly equal size. 



But where the stock is much larger than the 

 giaft, clejl grafting is most convenient. This is 

 done by first butting off the stock horizontally 

 with a large knife or saw, and a cleft is tlien split 

 downwards in it an inch or two in length. The 

 grafc is then cut off on both sides in the form of a 

 wedge, of such a shape as to fit as nearly as pos- 

 sible this cleft. The cleft is then kept open by a 

 knife or wedge placed in the opposite side, and 

 the graft, prepared as above, carefully adjusted in 

 it, and then flie wedge is withdrawn. The jdaster 

 is then applied and the operation is complete. 

 This mode has an advantage over the former in 

 not needing a ligature, the pressure of the jaws 

 of the slit being sufficient to hold the graft to its 

 ])lace. It may be observed, that as the cleft is 

 made lengthwise with the wood, the sap in jjassing 

 from the stock to the graft flows laterally from its 

 vessels, which it will do with nearly the same 

 facility as from the ends. 



As a sharp knife for cutting the joining surfaces 

 is absolutely necessary, it is generally most conve- 

 nient to employ two knives, — one for doing the 

 chief work and in shaping the wood ; and the 

 other, exceedingly sharp, merely for paring the 

 surfaces for contact. . 



Where standard trees have been headed down 

 for new tops, the grafts should be set on the thrif- 

 tiest shoots, and as near the body of the tree as 

 these can be found ; and strict care should be 

 "taken to cut away all overshadowing branches in 

 their immediate vicinity. As the grafts increase 

 in size, the old top should be gradually and finally 

 removed. — Genesee Farmer. 



