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J.— Artificial Grafts. 



1. Budding and Grafting, 



I do not know of any successful Australian experiments with, adult Eucalyptus 

 plants. In a few cases I have heard of experiments being rnade, but they have usually 

 been abandoned before completion of the experiment. 



Following is an account of some experiments by French horticulturists : — - 



M. Felix Sahut gives a remarkable account of a Eucalyptus which, planted at Lattes in 1864, resisted 

 32 degrees Fahr. of frost during the memorable winter of 1870-1, nor did the tree suffer in any way, and 

 even its leaves remained intact. It had been raised from a seedling among seed of E. Risdoni, and its 

 identity was never traced. It grew to a height of nearly 40 feet during its comparatively short life, for at 

 the age of twenty years it gradually began to show signs of weakness, and ultimately it died. 



This tree, which had been provisionally named E. Laitensis by M. Naudin, indicated a species 

 possessing cold-resisting quaUties, but as it never blossomed, M. Sahut's foresight led him to graft it on an 

 allied species, with the view to its cultivation as an ornamental tree in more northern parts of France. 



Two methods were employed, one, the cleft graft, with moderate results only, and the graft by 

 approach, or inarching, with much greater success. The stock being more susceptible to cold than the 

 scion, the operation was purposely made as near as possible to the root. The union of the plants was 

 practically perfect, and five or six dozen plants developed vigorously and with great j^romise. Some of 

 them grew to a height of 6 feet during the first year, but during the next season they all began to fail, and 

 at the end of the third year not one was alive. 



The operation of budding was not tried by M. Sahut in these experiments, because he did not think 

 it would succeed, and it is interesting to note that this method has been adopted with good results elsewhere. 

 The Revue Hortiroh 25ublished, in 1893, an account of work of this character conducted in Palestine by 

 M. Justin Dugourd, who budded E. ghhuhis on ^. resinifera. The former species is one with .spreading 

 roots, and is less resistant to the influence of the wind, &c., than the latter, which was used as the stock, 

 because it grows into a strong tree. 



It appears to be necessary for the complete success of this operation to support the scion in some 

 suitable manner, so that the sap may the more readily reach it. As the stock increases in growth it is 

 also desirable to remove any shoots which it may produce, unless the operation is unsuccessful, when the 

 subject may then be allowed to grow. (Gard. Chron., 11th March, 1899, p. 145.) 



2. Grafting by approach in the Seedling stage. 



This operation may be either cohesion or adhesion, and it leads to such important 

 and, perhaps, practical results, and therefore is worthy of brief consideration under a 

 separate heading. 



Grafting by approach in Eucalyptus is easy when the plants are little past the cotyledon stage, 

 according to some experiments by Mr. C. J. Weston, Afforestation Officer, Canberra. In practice they 

 sometimes re.3ult in pans of mixed seed, two diverse seedlings being accidently pressed together by the 

 fingers in the operation of potting up. 



In the nursery rows at Canberra are three sturdy plants of E. ruhida-macuhsa. When I saw them 

 in .July they were about 3 feet high, and spreading. One half of each plant has the typical riihida character, 

 and the other half of the plant the typical maculosa character. Stripping the soil from the roots shows 

 perfect fusion of the two trees. This grafting by approach or fusing of two species by pressure apphed at 

 a critical time could also hardly be avoided by the agency of aniraals treading amongst young seedUngs. 



