GRAFTING. 211 



able portion of their length. As only the branehlets and twigs on 

 the underside will need to be cut off in order to lay the branch in 

 the soil, the rest will stand out and become each an independent- 

 rooted individual. This procedure may be adopted with bamboos. 



The best season for layering is immediately after the first burst 

 of activity at the beginning of the season of vegetation : it is at 

 this time that trees form the largest quantity of constructive mate- 

 rials and at the same time display the greatest amount ot activity 

 in developing new organs. 



For layering we may use the same age of wood as for propaga- 

 tion by cuttings, but it is obvious that the thinner the branches 

 are, the more flexible will they be. In any case they must be 

 thoroughly lignified. 



Since the layers are connected with the parent stem as long as 

 they are still unable to nourish themselves, almost any woody species 

 may be propagated with more or less certainty by layering. 



7. Grafting. 



This is still less the work of a forest nurseryman than layering, 

 but in a backward country like India we may be required to do it 

 outside our regular professional duties. 



Success in grafting depends on the complete amalgamation of 

 the cambium of the scion or graft with that of the stock on which 

 it is put ; the connection formed must be organic. Once this 

 connection takes place, every new layer of wood or bark made by 

 the scion is formed in organic connection with the corresponding 

 layer ofw r ood or bark added by the stock. Besides this, the empty 

 space between the two sections inside the cambium ring may be 

 filled up with new woody cellular tissue formed by the medullary 

 rays and the parenchymatous tissue in the fibro-vascular bundles, 

 and the scion and stock become thereby completely cemented to- 

 gether. Consequently, whatever the method of grafting, the 

 cambium of the scion must be placed in direct and close contact 

 with the cambium of the stock. To facilitate and maintain this 

 contact until the ultimate amalgamation takes place, the stock and 

 scion should be firmly tied together with some soft but strong fibre, 

 and the lines of junction between the scion and the stock should 

 be covered up and protected against atmospheric influences with 

 variously-made compositions. Indian malis use chiefly clay mixed 

 with cowdung, the object of the cowdung being to pervent crack- 

 ing, to maintain an even temperature, and the better to preserve 

 moisture. The proportions in the mixture are 1 of cowdung to 



