676 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



is a part of the living vegetable, which united 

 or inserted in a stock identifies itself with it, 

 and grows then as on its natural stem and roots. 

 The scion and stock must he either of identical 

 species, or of the same genera, or genera of the 

 same natural family, otherwise the graft will 

 not succeed. It was formerly a popular opinion 

 that any scion would succeed on any stock. 

 Thus Pliny, Varro, and Columella, speak of 

 apples and vines grafted on elms and poplars ; 

 and Evelyn mentions, that he saw a rose grafted 

 on an orange tree in Holland. The ancients 

 acknowledge, however, that such grafts were of 

 very short duration ; and Professor Thouin re- 

 marks, that the result of numerous experiments 

 made by him, proves that if any one of these 

 grafts seems at first to succeed, they all perish 

 in a very short period. 



The periods of the movement of the sap in 

 different species of trees, the permanence, or time 

 of falling of their leaves, and the periods of 

 maturation and qualities of the fruits, are cir- 

 cumstances to be taken into consideration in 

 making grafts. 



Grafting may be performed on all herbaceous 

 vegetables with solid stems. Georgina roots 

 are frequently grafted in this country ; and in 

 France, melons have been grafted on cucumbers, 

 love apples on potatoes, and cauliflowers on cab- 

 bages. 



Grafting may be performed with scions of the 

 current year's shoots, or with those of several 

 years growth. The stock does not change the 

 character of the species of the scion which may 

 be grafted on it, although it materially affects 

 the quality of the fruit. Some kinds of stocks 

 are more adapted for grafting than others. The 

 great art of grafting is to unite exactly the inner 

 bark of the scion with the inner bark of the 

 stock, and thus to keep them in contact, till a 

 union takes place. 



Whip or tmigiie grafting. To effect this pro- 

 cess in the most perfect manner, it is desirable 

 that the top of the stock and the extremity of 

 the scion should be of equal diameter. Hence, 

 this kind of grafting can he performed on smaller 

 stocks than any other. The scion and stock 

 being cut off obliquely at corresponding angles, 

 as near as the operator can guess them, cut off 

 the tip of the stock obliquely or nearly hori- 

 zontally, a slit is now to be made nearly in the 

 centre of the sloped face of the stock down- 

 wards, and a similar one in the scion upwards. 

 The tongue or wedge-like process, forming the 

 upper part of the sloping face of the scion, is then 

 inserted downwards in the cleft of the stock, 

 the inner barks of both being brought closely to 

 unite on one side, so as not to be displaced in 

 tying, which ought to be done immediately with 

 a ribbond of bast brought in a neat manner 

 several times round the stock, and which is gene- 



rally done from right to left when the scion is 

 placed with the right hand, but from left to 

 right, when it is placed with the left hand. The 

 next operation is to clay the whole over an inch 

 thick on every side, from about half an inch 

 or more below the bottom of the graft, to an 

 inch over the top of the stock, finishing the whole 

 coat of clay in a kind of oval globular form, 

 closing it effectually about the scion and every 

 part, so as the weather or light may not pene- 

 trate, to prevent which is the whole intention 

 of claying. The French method of grafting dif- 

 fers from the English, in their never paring 

 more off the stock, however large, than the width 

 of the scion. In both modes, the stock is some- 

 times not shortened down to the graft, but a few 

 inches left to serve as a prop to tie the shoots 

 proceeding from the scion, or even to admit of 

 fastening the ligatures used in the operation 

 more securely. 



In deft grafting, the head of the stock or 

 branch, which may be two or three inches in 

 diameter, is first cut off obliquely, and then the 

 sloped part is cut over horizontally near the 

 middle of the slope ; a cleft nearly two inches 

 long is made with a stout knife or chisel in the 

 crown downwards, at right angles to the sloped 

 part, taking care not to divide the pith. This 

 cleft is kept open by the knife. The scion has 

 its extremity for about an inch and a half cut 

 into the form of a wedge ; it is left about the 

 eighth of an inch thicker on the outer or bark 

 side, and brought to a fine edge on the inside ; 

 it is then inserted into the opening prepared for 

 it, and the knife being withdrawn, the stock 

 closes firmly upon it. Two or more scions may 

 be thus grafted into the same stock. 



Crown grafting is practised chiefly in thick 

 stocks, shortened branches, or headed down trees. 

 In this operation the scion is inserted between 

 the bark and the wood, and it is most successful 

 when performed later than the others. First, 

 cut or saw off the head of the stock or branch 

 horizontally or level, and pair. the stock smooth. 

 Then cut one side of each scion flat and some- 

 what sloping, an inch and a half long, forming 

 a sort of shoulder at the top of the slope to rest 

 upon the crown of the stock ; then raise the 

 rind of the stock with the ivory wedge, forming 

 the handle of the budding knife, so as to admit 

 the scion between it and the wood two inches 

 down; which done, place the scion with the cut 

 side next the wood, thrusting it down far. enough 

 for the shoulder to rest upon the top of the stock, 

 and in this manner may be put three, four, five, 

 or more scions in one large stock or branch. 



Side grafting differs from whip grafting, in 

 being performed on the side of the stock without 

 bending down. It is practised on wall trees to 

 fill up vacancies, and sometimes in order to have 

 a variety of fruits upon the same tree. Having 



