216 PROPAGATION. 



when the plants to be operated on stand near, or 

 which may be brought near tog-ether, the shoots of 

 each, by having equal sections taken off at the most 

 convenient point of contact, firmly and exactly bound 

 together, and clayed, will soon unite and allow of the 

 graft being separated from its native branch. An 

 ingenious and much more convenient method of 

 grafting by " approach " has lately been practised- 

 The graft is cut off the mother plant ; but instead of 

 the lower end being inserted into the stock, it is at- 

 tached thereto by its middle and bound securely : a 

 small phial of water is then suspended to the stock 

 and in which the base of the graft is kept plunged. 

 This supplies the graft with aliment till the connec- 

 tion between it and the stock is completely formed ; 

 and so effectual is this assistance to the graft, that 

 fibres are produced from its lower end in the water, 

 and of which (the lower end) a separate plant may 

 be made when taken off. 



Escutcheon, or shield grafting, is raising a triangu- 

 lar piece of the bark containing a bud> and inserting 

 it into an opening of the same size made to receive it 

 on the stock. 



Root grafting is sometimes convenient. Instead 

 of using the stem of a stock a root of it only is suffi- 

 cient ; this, grafted in the usual manner, tied and 

 clayed, and replanted in a suitable place, will not fail 

 to take. Where proper stocks cannot be had, a 

 favourite plant may be propagated by grafting some 

 of its shoots upon parts of its own roots which can 



