Description of the Greffe Blaikie. 



The stock is sometimes headed down 

 immediately after the operation ; in which 

 case particular care must be taken to leave 

 a bud or a shoot above die incision {fig. 11. 

 d), in order to attract the sap to the place 

 where the operation was performed. Some- 

 times, however, the stock is not headed 

 down till after its union with the scion is 

 completed. When the plant operated on 

 is small, and the scion of a delicate species, 

 the plant should be covered by a bell-glass, 

 to prevent the too great transpiration of 

 the leaves. The air in the interior must 

 be occasionally renewed, as, without this 

 attention, it would, by the evaporation of 

 the water, be rendered too humid. 



If the diameter of the scion is less than that of the stock, the 

 operation must of course be different from the preceding. In 

 such a case, the incisions must be limited simply 

 to two longitudinal ones of equal dimensions, 

 one on the scion, the other on the stock [fig. 13.) 

 This is the easiest and the most natural mode, 

 and also the most favourable for giving solidity 

 to the graft. But the intelligent practitioner 

 will always modify the operation agreeably to the 

 circumstances under which it is to be perform- 

 ed ; employing some one of the numerous me- 

 thods known by the name o^ greffe par approche 

 el enfente laterale (approach-grafting, and by 

 lateral clefts or slits). 



I mentioned above, that Mr. Blaikie's method succeeded 

 universally on hardy ligneous plants ; let me add, that in 

 such cases, when it is desired to prevent evaporation produced 

 by the winds or the solar rays, a strong paper or parchment 

 cap, fixed on just below the junction of the parts operated on, 

 and enclosing all the rest of die upper part of the stock, is a 

 very good plan. This precaution should be used with all 

 delicate grafts in the open air, when the scions have any leaves 

 on them ; and particularly in the case of resinous or gummy 

 trees. 



It has lately been recommended to insert the scion into 

 earth, either the free soil or soil in a pot, the latter being 

 maintained at a proper degree of heat. 



[Mr. Murray, of the Glasgow botanic garden, inserts the 

 ends of the scions into potatoes or turnips, and the success is 

 as great as when glasses of water are used,] 



