72 MODES OF GRAFTING. 



and other constitutional peculiarities, which nothing short 

 of a lifetime of devoted study can discover and turn to the 

 best account. Thus the Peach grows tolerably well on three 

 other stocks besides the free stock or seedling Peach ; and the 

 Plum, Almond, and Apricot stocks for this fruit have each 

 their advantages and drawbacks in different soils. The French 

 growers find the Apricot stock succeed for Peaches where both 

 the Plum and Almond fail ; but nurserymen, as a rule, prefer 

 either the Plum or free i.e., seedling Peach stock, and the 

 last named conduces most to longevity and vegetative growth; 

 indeed, Mr T. A. Knight's conclusions as to the use of 

 stocks are, " that a stock of a species or genus different to 

 that of the fruit to be grafted upon it can rarely be advantage- 

 ously used, unless where the object is to restrain vegetative 

 growth, and to enhance fertility or sexual vigour for a time; and 

 even where the same species are used as stock and scion, he 

 recommends the selection of varieties which resemble each 

 other in habit and vigour, if durability is desired." (See Trans. 

 Hort Soc., vol. ii. p. 199 : 1816.) Longevity in fruit-trees is 

 now rarely desired, since in the best fruit-gardens low bush 

 trees are grown, and a number of stocks are annually worked 

 with the best and safest varieties, so that directly a tree shows 

 signs of weakness or infertility, it is at once grubbed up and 

 replaced with a bearing tree ; and it is a w r ell-known fact that 

 bush fruit from young trees is the finest, and consequently 

 commands the best sale. It should always be borne in mind 

 that our fruit-tree culture is unnatural that is, we do not want 

 a crop of natural fruit, but enormous crops of unnatural ones : 

 that is to say, the more the succulent seed-vessel exceeds the 

 seeds in proportion, the better we are pleased. Everywhere 

 the demand is for heavy crops of large-berried Grapes, or enor- 

 mous Apples and Pears. 



MODES OF GRAFTING. 



There are fully one hundred different that is to say, slightly 

 different modes of grafting and budding, i.e., bud-grafting; 

 but I shall here confine myself to the best and most generally 

 adopted modes. The different methods employed in cutting 

 and fitting the scions and stocks together are of minor import- 

 ance in comparison with the time the operation is performed 

 that is always when the sap of the stock is in motion the 

 healthy vigour of both stock and scion, and the exact juxta- 

 position of the cambium layers in each. A warm genial tem- 

 perature and a slightly humid atmosphere also conduce largely 



