l^eiv Mode of grafting the Vine. 1 1 9 



by mistaking for essential requisites to success two things which 

 are not requisite. First, he has deemed the method of budding 

 essential to success. Now, it is true, as he seems to have dimly 

 perceived, that, to secure a union between the stock and the 

 scion, it is requisite to have the suction of some vegetation on 

 the stock above the junction; but, had he known that this 

 requisite may be supplied by a single shoot, or bud, on the stock 

 a little above the junction, he would never have thought of in- 

 serting his scion, or bud, below whole branches of the stock, 

 which must draw from it all the sap, and leave it to dwindle, as 

 appears from his statement, in the puny inches of wood pro- 

 duced. The second thing which he has reckoned essential to 

 success is, the fitting of a flower-pot, filled with mould, around 

 the grafts: but this, not to speak of its clumsiness, is altogether 

 unnecessary. 



My second communication on the subject to the London 

 Society was in July, 1835. In it I proposed the practical 

 application of my mode of grafting to the economical and ex- 

 peditious proving of the unproved varieties of the vine. This 

 was suggested by the following notice in the Catalogue of Fruits 

 grown in the London Hortiadtural Society^ s Garden iii 1831, 

 under the article "Grapes:" — "The varieties of grapes are 

 found to be in great confusion ; and much difference of opinion 

 exists respecting the comparative merits, as well as the nomen- 

 clature, of many of the sorts. In order to obtain sufficient 

 knowledge on this subject, it is evident that a large extent of 

 glass is requisite, under which the various kinds may be satis- 

 factorily proved, and their synonymes ascertained. Until such 

 is provided, much uncertainty must remain in regard to this 

 important class of fruits. In the mean time, the generally known 

 and acknowledged merits and characters of some have been 

 given ; and others, less certain, have been left without attaching 

 any remark, till circumstances admit of the whole being properly 

 examined." 



On referring to the list of grapes succeeding this notice, I 

 observed that, out of the 182 sorts mentioned, only 77 are 

 described as having been proved, leaving 105 unproved; and, 

 looking at the reason assigned, I thought myself warranted to 

 suppose that the sorts yet unproved were little short of 100. 



I proposed and sketched a plan, by which all these unproved 

 sorts in the catalogue might, on my method of grafting, be 

 proved in the space of three years, with an extent of only 64 ft. 

 of glass, and with the sacrifice of not more than one half the 

 usual crop already in culture, on an average of the three years; 

 provided that the extent of glass required were already furnished 

 with good healthy vines. 



As an assurance of the success that might be expected from 



I 4 



