Gardening for Amateurs 



6 99 



culent Epiphyllum is grafted in this way on 

 a stock of the Pereskia aculeata or Barbadoes 

 Gooseberry. The top of the stock is cut off 

 and the stem split open for a short distance ; 

 the flat stem of the Epiphyllum is then pared 

 into a wedge and inserted in the cleft, and 

 the two are bound together with raffia. The 

 result is most pleasing, for the forcing sap 

 of the Pereskia makes the Epiphyllum a 

 charming plant. Conifers are grafted in a 

 similar way. 



Saddle or Wedge Grafting. Saddle 

 grafting is employed to propagate such 



similar cut made in the tubers or roots. In 

 all cases the parts are bound together and 

 surrounded with sand or sandy soil, then 

 urged to unite by being placed in a gentle 

 heat. 



Inarching. Inarching is a form of graft- 

 ing known sometimes as " grafting by ap- 

 proach." Two separate plants are brought 

 into positions close to one another, a portion 

 of the bark and wood is cut from the stems 

 of each at any suitable height and the two 

 cut stems are then tied closely together, much 

 as is done in ordinary grafting. In a short 



Gloxinia leaves inserted 

 as cuttings. If un- 

 duly long they may 

 be shortened. 



After some weeks small tubers 

 form at the base of the leaf 

 stalks if the leaves are in- 

 serted in a propagating case. 



Showing how the veins on the 

 lower surface of a Begonia 

 leaf are notched. 



shrubs as Azaleas, Rhododendrons and 

 Camellias. The stock and the scion must 

 be about the same size ; the stock is cut into 

 a wedge-shaped point and in the scion a 

 deep notch is made to fit exactly over it. 

 The scion is then tied in position over the 

 stock like a saddle and grafting wax smeared 

 round the joint. Wedge grafting is exactly 

 the reverse of saddle grafting. 



Root Grafting. A few plants may be 

 grafted directly on the roots of different 

 varieties of the same species. Clematises, 

 for example, are grafted by the tongue or 

 splice methods on the roots of the wild type, 

 vhile Tree Paeonies and Dahlias have 

 cuttings trimmed at the base into a wedge- 

 shape, which is then fitted tightly into a 



time the two branches will unite together 

 and the scion is cut just below the point of 

 union while the stock is removed above it. 

 Vines are frequently propagated in this way, 

 but the process lends itself to all genera which 

 are amenable to grafting. 



Bottle Grafting. This is merely a 

 variation of inarching where the new variety 

 which is to be grafted is kept in a bottle 

 alongside the stock ; the two plants are then 

 encouraged to unite in the above way and 

 the treatment js just the same. This 

 method is useful when it would otherwise 

 prove impossible to bring the two plants 

 together. 



Propagation from Leaf Cuttings. 

 Many plants which have foliage of a fleshy, 



