116 ENGRAFTING. 



remain; and the compactness of the rows may, 

 during that period, be maintained by pruning to 

 smaller dimensions such as are destined to be re- 

 moved, and allowing those that are to remain to 

 extend their branches, before you have caused any 

 vacancy by extirpation. Thus your walk, more 

 beautiful in this case if it be of grass, will present 

 an alley bordered with close apple hedges groaning 

 under a load of various coloured fruits, and all of 

 your own selection. Such a prospect, easily and 

 certainly to be realised, may well induce you to 

 take the trouble, as occasion may suggest, of carry- 

 ing home a few slips, and also to put your hand to 

 the neat and interesting experiment of their inser- 

 tion. 



The slips or shoots of one year's growth may be 

 gathered from trees not very old and free of canker, 

 at any time from the fall of the leaf to the opening 

 of the buds in spring; and they may be carried to 

 any distance, if drying be avoided, which is very 

 simply done by sticking them into a potato. In 

 every case, whether carried to a distance or not, 

 they should be taken from the tree at least a fort- 

 night before engrafting, in order that they may be 

 retarded whilst the tree on which they are to be 

 set is advancing; for thus they at once imbibe 

 moisture from the tree which is more advanced; 

 but if they were equally advanced, they would be 

 more liable to wither during the first few days after 

 their insertion. To preserve them after removal 

 from the tree, it is only necessary to set them in 



