84 OPERATIONS OF GARDENING. PART L 



on at full stretch and coiled round the G-ootee. By this means 

 the water, when poured into the pot, oozes slowly out, trickles 

 down the rope and along the coil, and so distributes itself over 

 the whole Gootee. 



GRAFTING. 



Grafting, I believe, is never practised in this country. To 

 those who might wish to attempt it, the following receipt for 

 a grafting-wax would perhaps be of service : 



" Take 27 oz. of common yellow resiu, and melt it gradually, so 

 as not to drive off the turpentine. When reduced to the consistency 

 of a syrup add 10 oz. of alcohol. Shake them thoroughly together, 

 and pour the mixture at once into a well-stopped bottle. 



"When the graft is inserted and tied in its place with a strand 

 of matting, cover the surface of the whole with this varnish, with 

 a small painter's brush. 



" Such varnish is neither affected by heat, cold, nor wet." * 



1NAKCHING. 



The operation of inarching is commonly called grafting here, 

 and is always substituted for it, being performed with far greater 

 certainty of success ; but, except for Mangos, Sapotas, and in 

 Bengal Peach-trees, there is not often need to resort to it. 

 Some of the choicer kinds of Eoses, it is true, are frequently 

 inarched ; but, with due care, more thriving plants may be 

 procured by means of cuttings or layers, if not by budding. 

 The process is performed thus : Procure a seedling, of about 

 one or two years old, of the plant to be inarched, or where a 

 seedling is not to be obtained, a rooted cutting of the same age, 

 of the plant that is to supply the stock. Put it in a pot, and 

 when it is well established it will be ready to be operated upon. 

 Slice away from one side of the young stem a piece of bark, 

 with a thin layer of the wood beneath it, about two inches long ; 

 do the same to a young stem of the plant to be inarched from, 

 and then bring together the two stems that have thus been 

 operated upon so that the cut parts lie close in contact face 

 to face, and bandage them with cotton-twist. In course of 

 time, when the parts have united, head down the stock and 

 dissever the scion from the parent plant by cutting it through 

 * ' Gardeners' Chronicle' for 28th April, 18GO. 



