the large Branches of old Trees. 699 



" To the Secretaries of the Aberdeenshire Horticultural 



Society, Aug. 28. 1827. 



cs I beg leave to submit to your consideration a mode of 

 grafting upon old stocks, branches, &c, of any size. The 

 method is simply this : — Having headed down your tree, take 

 a scion and place it upon that part of the stock where it is 

 meant to insert it. Cut upon both sides lengthways, through 

 the bark to the wood, an inch or more long, directly opposite 

 each other ; then cut across between these at the bottom, 

 observing to have it rather too little than too much. Raise 

 now the bark between the incisions, by a bone or ivory wedge, 

 or the handle of a budding-knife, &c, as most convenient ; 

 which will be easily done, as the wood and bark will easily 

 separate when the sap has arisen, when the void will appear 

 as a mortise. Prepare now the scion, as in the common way 

 for whip-grafting, by cutting away one side ; then paring away 

 the rind or outer bark on both sides of the transverse section, 

 making the lower end square; so that, when placed in the 

 mortise, it may fill the place exactly as a tenon, the end 

 uniting closely with the bark of the stock. 



" Tie now with matting in the usual way, observing that if 

 there is a vacuity, between the scion and bass, in consequence 

 of the bark of the stock being thicker than that of the scion, 

 it will be necessary to place something above that part of the 

 scion, so as the void may be filled up, that the tying press it tight. 

 If the operation is performed on branches rather low horizon- 

 tal, clay is to be preferred as a plaster ; if above, pitch, &c. (or 

 grafting wax), in case capillary attraction is necessary. By 

 capillary attraction, I mean having a bottle or jar for the 

 purpose of holding water ; a bit of cord or narrow selvage 

 of cloth, from 24 in. to 36 in. long, as a conductor, the 

 one end immersed in the water, and the other end turned 

 once or twice round the scion ; the vessel for the water to be 

 filled as often as necessary. By this mode I have no doubt 

 that cuttings, even from America or India, if kept moderately 

 moist (damp) on the passage, will in most instances succeed. 



" In the latter end of the month of March last, a cutting of 

 a new particular pear (Duchesse d'Angouleme) was sent me 

 from the Horticultural Garden of London. When received, 

 the buds were 1 in. long, and perfectly blanched from the 

 lateness of the season, and the package having been in damp 

 moss. I cut the shoot in two equal parts, and wrought them 

 in the manner above described. The buds in the course of 

 a day became quite black, and died away ; I had then recourse 

 to capillary attraction. By the first week in May, the top or 



