Description of the Greffe Blaikie. 



Art. II. Descriptioji and Origin of the Mode of Graftings 

 formerly called hy the French GrefFe Kew, noiso Greffe Blaikie. 

 {Gard. Mag. vol. ii. p. 33. fig. 12.) By M. Oscar Leclerc,' 

 of the Jardin du Roi, Paris. 



Sir, 

 In vol. ii. p. 389. of the Cours de Cidture et de Naturalisa- 

 tion des Vegetaux [3 vols. 8vo, with a quarto volume of plates], 

 you will find a short description of a mode of graftino-, which 

 the late Professor Thouin has denominated Greffe Kew, from 

 not knowing the inventor, and supposing it to be of English 

 origin. 



I have learned, but a few days ago, that our mutual friend 

 Mr. Blaikie, originated the first idea of this ingenious oper- 

 ation. This zealous horticulturist informed me that the <rrefFe 



par approche au moyen de Veau (approach-grafting with water- 

 glasses) (^.11.) was neither practised at Kew, nor, as far 

 as he knew, in any other garden in England, at the time he' 

 Invented it. 



This mode of grafting, which I shall henceforth call the 

 Greffe Blaikie, succeeds in most plants both of the hot-house 

 and open air; and it seems particularly well calculated for the 

 propagation of intertropical plants and trees. The success 

 which attends it on delicate hot-house plants, and particularly 



on those which are hard-wooded, is very difficult to be obtained 



by any other means. 



During the time when the sap is in full activity, the scion 



must be procured, if possible of exactly the 



same diameter as the stock on which it is to 



be grafted. 



First, make two lateral oblique incisions, 



exactly similar, the one on the stock [fig. 1 1. 



a) from above to below, the other on the 



scion from below to above {h\ and both 



sloping from without towards the centre or 



interior of the wood. The tongues [c c) 



are then cut in the form of a long wedge, 



by stripping them of their bark. The cut 



parts are next reunited, taking care, as 



usual, to make them coincide as exactly as 



possible. 



The scion being bound by ligatures to the stock in the 



ordinary way, the inferior part of the scion is plunged in a 



vessel of water, {fig. 12.) It will, however, be necessary to 



remove the water from time to time, and to renew the base 



of thesubmerged scion by cutting off its extremity. 



B 4' 



