192 FIELD, FOREST AND FARM 



this point, first, a slight abrasion and then a com- 

 plete wearing away of the bark until the two raw 

 surfaces end, it may be, in growing together. It 

 is not improbable that natural occurrences of this 

 kind furnished man with his first notions of graft- 

 ing. 



"Grafting by approach is an excellent method to 

 apply whenever in the arrangement of a fruit-tree's 

 branches there is a vacant space that needs filling. 

 Eegular distribution, symmetry Of arrangement, is 

 a condition demanded if only to satisfy the eye, which 

 is always offended by disorder ; but there is another 

 and still more convincing reason for this regularity. 

 The more evenly a tree's branches are distributed, 

 so that each shall receive an equal share of sap, sun- 

 light, and heat, so much the more fruit will it bear. 

 Suppose, then, there is a lack of branches in some 

 part. To fill this gap and thus restore the tree's 

 symmetry, grafting by approach offers a ready 

 means. From a branch near the vacant space and 

 itself sufficiently supplied with twigs or shoots, one 

 of these latter, of good length, is selected ; then it is 

 properly cut or gashed and the gash is brought into 

 contact wjth a similar gash at the point where it is 

 desired to start a new growth; and, finally, a liga- 

 ture is applied to hold the two parts together. As 

 soon as coalescence is complete the graft is severed 

 below the point of union, and the lower section, after 

 being straightened up again, is ready to serve once 

 more as branch to the limb that bears it. In this 



