396 SCIENCE OF GARDENING. Part II 



mode, consists in leaving that part of the tap-root not wanted with the removed tree undis- 

 turbed in the soil, and grafting on it there. Such root-grafts grow with uncommon vigor. 



2038. Terebration, or peg-grafting {Jig. 380. i), is an old method, in which the stock 

 being cut off horizontally, a hole was bored in the centre of it ; and the scion being se- 

 lected to fit the stock, within an inch and a half of its lower end, a circular incision was 

 made, and the part between that and the end reduced, so as to fit the hole in the stock. 

 This peg filling the hole was supposed to secure the graft from the effect of the winds. 



2039. Future treatment. In a month after grafting, it may be ascertained whether the 

 scion has united with the stock, by observing the progress of its buds ; but, in general, it 

 is not safe to remove the clay for three months or more, till the graft be completely cica- 

 trised. The clay may generally be taken off in July or August, and at the same time 

 the ligatures loosened where the scion seems to require more room to expand ; a few 

 weeks afterwards, when the parts have been thus partially inured to . the air, and when 

 there is no danger of the scion being blown off by winds, the whole of the ligatures may 

 be removed. If the stock was not shortened down close to the graft or junction of the 

 scion with the stock at the time of performing the operation, it may be done now, or as 

 soon as the ligatures can be entirely dispensed with. In particular cases, a ligature 

 round the graft, or a stake, or other prop, for the shoots of the scion, may be necessary 

 for a year to come, to protect against winds ; or a bandage of moss kept over the graft, 

 to preserve moisture, and encourage the expansion of the parts, and complete filling up 

 of the wound. 



2040. Choice and treatment of stocks. The stocks on which the operation of grafting is 

 performed, are most commonly the stems of young trees, raised from the seed, or from 

 suckers, layers, or cuttings, reared for that purpose. For what are called dwarf-trees, 

 the stock at the time of grafting must always be headed down within a few inches of the 

 ground for the insertion of the scion ; and for standards, the heading of the stock for the 

 insertion of the scion may either be near the ground, the scion inserted accordingly, and 

 one of the first shoots from it trained up to form a stem, or the scion inserted at the pro- 

 per height. But if, as is the case with standard cherries, the stock is intended to form 

 the stem, then it must be suffered to grow six or seven feet high, and be afterwards 

 headed down at five or six feet for the reception of the scion. The French and Americans 

 graft and bud their stocks much higher than is practised in Britain, which some consider 

 to contribute to the durability of the tree. J. Wilmot is of opinion, that, by the oppo- 

 site practice, the whole of the wild or proper stock, in garden-grounds where the soil is 

 continually raised by manure, becomes buried in the soil, and reduced to a mere root, 

 and then, he says, the tree begins to decline in vigor, and soon decays and dies. (Hort. 

 Trans, vol. i. p. 215.) 



2041. The sjyecies of stocks for fruit-trees are divided into what are caWed free-growing 

 and dwarfing stocks. The free-growing are such as naturally attain the full height of the 

 species to be grafted on them, as the seedlings of the common apple, common pear, plum, 

 and cherry. The dwarfing stocks are such as naturally form much smaller trees than 

 the sorts to be grafted on them, and therefore have a tendency to diminish the magnitude 

 of the adopted sorts ; as the paradise, doucin, and creeper, for apples ; the quince, for 

 pears ; bullace, for plums ; and perfumed, and wild red cherry, for cherries. 



2042. The sjyecies of stocks for timber and ornamental trees is generally some hardy spe- 

 cies or variety of the same genus ; but sometimes, plants of a different genus, but of the 

 same family, will answer. This, as already observed (2021.), is partly a matter of 

 theory, and partly of experience. 



2043. Scions are generally the young shoots of last summer's growth, and should be 

 chosen from the outside lateral branches of healthy trees. The outside lateral branches 

 are preferred, because in them the shoots are not so robust and apt to run to wood as in 

 the centre and top of the tree, nor so weak as those which are at its base, and under the shade 

 and drip of the rest. Such shoots are uniformly found to be the best bearers, and to pro- 

 duce the truest specimen of the fruit of the tree on which they grow. An exception to this 

 rule is to be found in the case of debilitated trees, where, of course, the scions should be 

 taken from the strongest shoots in the centre of the tree. The middle part of each shoot 

 makes always the best scion, for the same reasons as those given for choosing the shoots 

 from the middle part of the tree ; but long shoots, and especially where the scion is of a 

 rare variety, may be cut into several scions of four or six inches in length, reserving not 

 fewer than two, nor more than five eyes, to form the future head of the tree. 



2044. Preparation of scions. Scions should be gathered several weeks before the sea- 

 son for grafting arrives ; the reason is, that experience has shown that grafting may 

 most successfully be performed, by allowing the stock to have some advantage over the 

 graft in forwardness of vegetation. It is desirable that the sap of the stock should be in 

 brisk motion at the time of grafting ; but by this time the buds of the scion, if left on 

 the parent tree, would be equally advanced ; whereas the scions, being gathered early, 

 ihe buds arc kept back, and ready only to swell out when placed on the stock. Scions 



