GRAFTING 101 



to be enough injury to cells, probably caused by 

 osmosis, to interfere with practical employment of 

 this method on a large scale. Common water can- 

 not be used for the purpose of keeping cut surfaces 

 fresh, because there is osmotic exchange .of salts 

 between the cells of a plant and the water, which 

 endangers the integrity of a cell very rapidly. 



Professor Lewis Knudson, of Cornell University, 

 to whom I put the question, made two suggestions. 

 First, that the cut buds or scions be put into a two 

 per cent solution of potassium permanganate. The 

 basis for this idea was the fact that cuttings were 

 sometimes allowed to remain in a two per cent solu- 

 tion before starting them in the usual way in the 

 sand. Second, a solution of salts which would have 

 a tendency to maintain a permeability of cells with- 

 out alteration; the balanced solution consisting of 



2.25 gm. CaCl 2 

 1.25 " NaCl 

 1.50 " KC1 

 I liter H 2 O 



When carrying both of these ideas into practice I 

 chose the latter finally because of the osmosis ques- 

 tion. Cut surfaces of the scions which had been 

 shaped during the previous evening remained fresh 

 looking during the entire following day and good 

 catches were made with the grafts. I would not 

 recommend longer immersion as yet but wish to sug- 

 gest the idea for experimental development. A solu- 



