November 2, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



38* 



behaviour as astook for another variety, an interesting instance 

 of which was recently brought under our notice. It is scarcely 

 necessary to tell our readers that Grape-growing at the Vice- 

 regal Gardens is Al, or that our valued friend Mr. Smith is 



a master in this department of hiB profession. Well, even in 

 that establishment, and in Mr. Smith's hands, this variety 

 cl»yed false, would rend its beautiful coat, and thereby be un- 

 presentable at Court. As a consequence, though holding it in 

 the highest estimation for its other good qualities, Mr. Smith 

 resolved to discard it. Instead, however, of uprooting it alto- 

 gether from the vinery, he elected to head it down and inarch 



itwiih that grand-looking late variety, Gros Colman. 



This operation was performed in the spring of last year, 

 tbe result being a cIoeo union and stout well-ripened rod. 

 This year the rod was shortened-back in the usual way, was 

 started, and showed fairly for fruit. The embryo bunches 

 were, however, removed, with the exception of one or so. 

 Thus far all went on well, and now we come to the curious 

 and interesting but by no means satisfactory part of the story 

 — Damely, the little-looked-for and less-deshed manifestation 

 in the graft of the evil propensity with which the stock variety 

 is so generally charged. In a word, the bunch or bunohes of 

 Gros Colman had almost every berry cracked in the way as is 

 ths wont of the Madresfield Court. Here, then, is another 

 cuiioua — a by no means uninteresting, and, as far as we know, 

 unrecorded — instance of the influence of stock upon scion. It 

 is to be hoped Mr. Smith will give the worked Vine a year or 

 two's trial, as it would juBt now be premature to come to a 

 conclusion as to the demerits of the stock or to theorise as 

 one might otherwise feel inclined to with regard to the ex- 

 planation of the phenomenon in the present instance. We 

 have never known or heard before of Gros Colman showing 

 any tendenoy to skin-bursting. The thick, tough, and closely 

 adhering cuticle of its large berries is not the one likely to give 

 way, unless under some most exceptional circumstances. Have 

 any of our Grape-growing readers experience or knowledge of 

 showing this disposition ? if so, we should be glad to hear it 

 from them to that effect. — (Irish Farmers' Gazette.) 



' STANDABD CUEBANTS. 



Not a little surprising is it that the standard form of grow- 

 ing Red Currants is not more widely adopted. The plan is a 

 very old and a very good one. The Americans, it appears, are 

 adopting it in growing Gooseberries, and there is no reason 

 why Buocess should not follow. The system of grafting, how- 

 ever, which is adopted on the Continent and in America is not 

 necessary in growing standard Currants in England. Given 

 vigorous stocks time is no doubt saved by grafting, but really 

 the growing of cuttings into miniature trees is by no means 

 a slow process. 



Standard Red Currants are both ornamental and profitable, 

 and the fruit on them is never attacked by birds so persistently 

 as is fruit growing on buBhes. I have grown standards for a 

 number of years, and have found them of the greatest value. 

 They take up but little room, are exceedingly fruitful, and un- 

 questionably add to the attractiveness of the garden. The 

 fruit on standards generally ripens before that on buBhes, and 

 it also ke9ps longer. If it is desired to preserve the fruit as 

 long as possible it is easy to place round each separate head a 

 guard of netting. This, however, is not necessary until the 

 fruit from the bushes has been gathered, for the birds will not 

 attack the exposed standard trees so long as any hidden fruit 

 remains on the bushes which they can eat in comparative 

 peaoe and quietness. 



I commenced the growing of standard Currant trees on the 

 ECDre of economy and to save garden ground. My kitchen- 

 garden space was limited, and the demand for Currants could 

 not be met. I could not afford to devote another quarter of 

 the garden to bush fruit, as scarcity in another form — the vege- 

 table supply — would have followed. I therefore raised standards 

 and planted some at intervals amongst the bushes, planting 

 a standard between every third and fourth bush in every third 

 row. The heads of these were formed well above the bushes, 

 and, as I anticipated, the bushes produced as freely aa ever, 

 and a large supply in addition was given by the standards above 

 them. 



I also planted standards on the wall borders near to the edge 

 next the walks. The trees were planted 18 inches from the 

 walk and 15 feet from tree to tree. The stemB were 3 J feet 

 high, and the heads were formed from 2 to 3 feet in dia- 

 meter. It was surprising the quantity of fine fruit that was 



produced by these standards, and with no appreciable loss of 

 ground. True, a root or two of early Potatoes were saorifioed 

 in one part of the border and a few Lettuces in another, but 

 these trifling losses were not felt, while the crops of Currants 

 were a substantial gain. The miniature trees also added much 

 to the ornamentation of the garden, and were generally ad- 

 mired for their appearance. 



The trees I raised from cuttings. In the ordinary manner 

 of raising trees from cuttingB short-jointed medium-sized 

 shoots are selected, cutting out the lower eyes and shortening 

 the tops of the cuttings to the required height, leaving three' 

 or four buds on the top of each. In raising standards I found 

 another plan, quicker and better. I selected the most robust 

 Bhoots, carefully removing all the base buds, but not short- 

 ening the cuttings, leaving the terminal bud of each un- 

 touched. These cuttings were often 3 feet long to begin with, 

 and when carefully planted in a north border they invariably 

 rooted and did well. They were put-in in the autumn, and in 

 the following summer made little growth, but in the season 

 following they grew more than the required height, and were- 

 shortened accordingly at the winter's pruning and the heads 

 formed. 



I found, however, that a season was gained by grafting roots 

 on to the cuttings. A piece of bushy fibrous root was dug up 

 and its thick end cut into the shape of a wedge ; this was in- 

 serted into an upward slit made near the lower end of the 

 outticg and secured with a piece of matting. When this was 

 neatly and quickly done, and the cutting with its new root 

 planted without any delay, thus avoiding drying, I rarely knew 

 a failure to occur, and the cuttings so grafted grew to the re- 

 quired height the first season. 



Standard Currants, of course, require stakes to support 

 them. It is important that these be sound and firm, and the 

 ligatures must also be strong. The stakes must be plaoed 

 close up to the heads, or during a rough wind the head of the 

 tree may be broken off near the topmost ligature. 



Especially to those having small gardens, and who desire 

 them to be as profitable as possible and also attractive, I re- 

 commend that they grow Currants as standards along the sides 

 of th ■ walks. These trees will yield a valuabley suppl of fruit 

 without taking up much ground, and they will also impart a 

 pleasing appearance to the garden. — A Nokthebn Gakdenek. 



ON GRAFT HYBRIDS. 



BY THOMAS HEEHAN, GERMANTOWN, PHILADA. 



[Head before tbe American Association for tbe Advancement of Science, at 



Buffalo, August, 1876.] 



Of late years an impression has prevailed that hybrids may 

 be obtained by grafting as well as by seeds. Sachs makes no 

 mention of this in his text-book, but it has had a place in the 

 literature of horticulture for over a hundred years. Bradley 

 says that a variegated Jasmine grafted on a common greeu 

 stock infused the variegation throughout the whole plant ; and 

 there is an idea among some horticulturists that an admixture 

 in Apples can be obtained by uniting two halves of different 

 buds and grafting them together. Thousands of people have 

 laughed at these notions. No one has tried them. But only 

 a few years ago it was found that Bradley was right ; and we 

 have in cultivation new variegated forms of Abutilon, as well 

 as some other things originated by the graft process. During 

 the past few years it has been asserted that new varieties of 

 Potatoes have originated in this way : A tuber is taken and 

 all the eyes cut out. A wedge with an eye of another kind is- 

 then inserted into the eyeless mass and planted. The results, 

 are said to be true hybrids. Many of onr best physiologists 

 doubt this. I have not seen these cases ; but I must say the 

 evidence offered is much stronger than much of that on which 

 some popular theoiies have been built. 



I tried the split-and-grafting process, not believing it would 

 result in a hybridity. I merely wished to teBt the popular 

 notion. I am pleased to be able to say now that it is correct. 

 New varieties can be obtained in that way. I took the Rhode 

 Island Greening and the Red Astrachan — two very distinct 

 varieties of Apples in every respect. The grafts with a single 

 bud were split as near through the centre as possible, and a> 

 piece of each kind fitted together so as to appear one complete 

 soion. Twelve of these were grafted ; three grew ; two of these 

 have fruited ; neither are Rhode Itland Greening, and the two 

 are unlike each other ; one of these has a flower like the Rhode 

 Island Greening, and the flower of the Red Astrachan is rosy 

 and in many ways distinct from the large white one of the 



