90 ELEMENTARY FORESTRY. 



GRAFTAGE. 



Graftage refers to the growing of one plant on the stem, root 

 or branch of another plant. There are several forms of graftage, 

 which are generally known as grafting, budding and inarching. 

 It is a common practice to use graftage in the growing of the 

 different varieties of fruit trees, and it is also used to some 

 extent in the growing of some of the varieties of ornamental 

 trees that cannot be grown from seed. Trees that are grown by 

 any form of graftage are seldom as long-lived as those grown on 

 their own roots, and. these methods should be avoided when it 

 is practicable to do so. These methods are not much used in 

 common practice, and consequently are not discussed at length 

 here. 



Inarching" is a rather unusual way of growing plants. It 

 works on the principle that when the growing stems, branches 

 and roots of the same or closely allied plants are held closely 

 together for some time they become united. Such unions of 

 roots are frequently found in woodlands; in some cases the 

 roots of the same trees, and in others the roots of different trees, 

 become grown together. Occasionally also trees are found 

 grown together by their branches or stems. Inarching is some- 

 times used for growing the Cutleaf Birch, in which case the 

 sprouts from a stump of a Cutleaf Birch, or the twigs from a 

 small tree laid on the ground, are tied to small Birch seedlings, 

 which have been grown in pots and plunged to their rims in the 

 ground near the tree. In doing this the bark is removed for 

 about two inches at the point of contact of the twig and seed- 

 ling, which are then tied firmly together. It should be done by 

 the middle of June, but will often be successful if done even a 

 month later. They should be kept together until the leaves fall, 

 and then the branches from the parent tree should be cut away, 

 leaving the seedlings with the twigs grown fast to them. These 

 should be carefully heeled-in over winter, and in the spring the 

 seedlings should be cut off just above the union, so as to throw 

 all their strength into the adopted twig of the Cutleaf Birch. 

 This method may also be used to replace lost branches on trees 

 or vines. 



