CHAPTER XIII 

 BUDDING AND GRAFTING 



In Chapter V. it has been seen that plants are sometimes 

 propagated by bulbs — which are simply modified buds, — and 

 by cuttings. The bulbs and the cuttings are set in the soil, 

 and after a time they form roots and become independent 

 plants of the same character as their parents. 



Budding and grafti?ig are practically the same processes Nature of 

 as propagation by bulbs and cuttings, with the difference that grafting. ^"'^ 

 the buds and grafts are made to grow on plants already 

 rooted. The advantages of budding and grafting are, that Their advan- 

 many delicate plants, and more especially fruit trees, are "^^^es. 

 rendered much hardier by their branches being made to 

 grow on strong stocks — as the plants used for the reception 

 of the buds and grafts are called. And when they become 

 stronger they naturally give a larger return in fruit. Be- 

 sides this, some plants which are very difficult to propagate Useful for 

 by cuttings are easily multiplied by budding and grafting, s''ecSf^^'"^ 

 and seedling fruit trees, which take a very long time to bear, varieties. 

 can be made to fruit much earlier by these processes. In 

 the case, too, of oranges and other fruit trees, the seeds do 

 not always produce plants that bear fruit of the same 

 character as that of the parent — in fact they do not " breed Seeds do not 

 true." That is to say, if the seed of a very fine orange be ^^^^^y^ ^''^^'^ 

 planted the fruit obtained from the seedling, when it has 

 grown into a tree, may after all be of a worthless character, 

 so that after the trouble of nursing the tree from the seed. 



true. 



