18 



PROPAGATION. 



and the trees planted at once, drawing tlie well pulverized soil 

 with great care around the graft. Another w^ay of grafting 

 apple stocks, common in some western nurseries, consists in 

 tongue-grafting on seedling stocks of very small size, cut back 

 almost to the root. This is performed in winter, by the fire- 

 side — the grafts carefully tied, and the roots placed in the cel- 

 lar, in sand, till spring, when they are planted, the top of the 

 graft just above ground. 



Grafting the Vine is attended with great success in the cleft 

 manner if treated as follows. Cut your scions during the winter 

 or early spring, keeping them partially buried in a cool damp 

 cellar till wanted. As soon as the leaves of the old vine or stock 

 are fully expanded, and all danger of bleeding is past — say about 

 the 10th of June, cut it off smoothly below the surface of the 

 ground, and split the stock and insert one or two scions in the 

 usual manner, binding the cleft well together if it does not close 

 firmly. Draw the soil carefully over the whole, leaving two or 

 three buds of the scion above the surface. If the root of the 

 stock is a strong native grape, the graft will frequently grow ten 

 or fifteen feet during the first season, and yield a fair crop the 

 second year. 



The Vine may also be grafted with good success 

 at the usual season if grafted below the ground, 

 but above ground, it should not be attempted, on 

 account of bleeding, until the leaves are nearly 

 expanded. 



Saddle grafting, Fig. 5, consists in cutting the 

 top of the stock in the form of a wedge, splitting 

 the scion and thinning away each half to a tongue 

 shape, placing it astride the stock, and fitting the 

 two, at least on one side, as in tongue-grafting. 

 This mode off'ers the largest surface for the junc- 

 tion of the scion and stock, and the union is very 

 perfect. Mr. Knight, who practised it chiefly 

 upon Cherry trees, states that he has rarely ever 

 seen a graft fail, even when the wood has been so 

 succulent and immature as to preclude every hope 

 of success by any other mode. 



A variety of this mode, for stocks larger than 

 the scions, is practised with much success in Eng- 

 land after the usual season is past, and when the bark of the 

 stock separates readily. "The scion, which must be smaller 

 than the stock, is split up between two or three inches from its 

 lower end, so as to have one side stronger than the other. ITiis 

 strong side is then properly prepared and introduced between the 

 bark and the wtjocI ; while the thinner division is fittcJ to the 

 opposite side of the stock." The graft, thus placed, receives a 

 large supply of the sustaining fluid from the stock, and the union 



Fig. 5. 

 Saddle grafting. 



