On the use of Caoutchouc for tying in buds, ^-c. 89 



climate. Seeds have been received at Philadelphia, from the 

 Explorins; Expedition, while at Sydney, New South Wales, 

 from which plants have been raised and are now coming into 

 flower. We may therefore anticipate, that should the Expe- 

 dition visit the Columbia river, as is now expected, the botan- 

 ists connected witii it will secure seeds or plants, that our gar- 

 dens may be enriched with the valuable fruits, &.c., which ha\e 

 been above described. 



Art. TI. On the use of Caoutchouc, or India Rubber^ for 

 the purpose of tying in buds, grafting, SfC. By H. 



Sir, — Will you permit me to suggest to you the use of 

 caoutchouc, in thin slips, for tying in the buds of delicate 

 shrubs, roses, Sic, in inoculating? I think that the princi- 

 pal causes of failure in this operation, when performed in 

 June and July, are, first, the drying of the shield and bud by 

 the sun and air, before the adhesion is formed; and, second, 

 although not so frequently, from water getting in, and reduc- 

 ing the surfaces to a sodden state. Either of these effects the 

 use of the above mentioned ligature is calculated to prevent. 

 If wound carefully, the edge of each turn lapping the preced- 

 ing one, it will be water and air tight, and by its elasticity will 

 yield to the growth of the tree. 



India rubber can be procured in a proper form from (he 

 manufactories, and where one is at a distance from these, it 

 can easily be prepared, by soaking one of the small India 

 rubber bottles in sulphuric ether, for twenty-four hours, blow- 

 ing it up with a quill, tying the neck tight, and suspending it 

 in a wash-room until dry. The expense can be no object, if 

 it proves as much better than other ligatures, as I think it will 

 be found to. It cannot cost more than a quarter of a cent 

 per bud. I shall try it this season, and send you the result, 

 and I hope some of your correspondents will do the same. 



H. 

 Hartford, Conn., Jan. 1841. 



VOL. VII. NO. HI. 12 



