PRACTICAL CULTURE OF PLANTS. 



677 



fixed upon those parts of the branches where 

 wood is wanting to furnish the head or any part 

 of the trees, slope off the hark and a little of 

 the wood, and cut the lower end of the scions to 

 fit the part as near as possible ; then join them 

 to the branch, tie them with bark, and clay 

 them over. 



In a month after any of the operations of graft- 

 ing, it may be ascertained whether the scion has 

 united with the stock, by observing the progress 

 of its buds ; but in general, it is not safe to re- 

 move the clay for three months or more, till the 

 graft be completely cicatrised. The clay may 

 generally be taken off in July or August, and 

 at the same time the ligatures loosened, when 

 the scion seems to require more room to expand ; 

 a few weeks afterwards, when the parts have 

 been thus partially inured to the air, and when 

 there is no danger of the scion being blown off 

 by winds, the whole of the ligatures may be 

 removed. 



If the stock was not shortened down close to 

 the graft or junction of the scion with the stock 

 at the time of perfonning the operation, it may 

 be done now, or as soon as the ligatures can be 

 entirely dispensed with. 



In particular cases, a ligature round the graft, 

 or a, stake or other prop for the shoots of the 

 scion, may be necessary for a year to come, to 

 protect against winds, or a bandage of moss may 

 be kept over the graft to preserve moisture, and 

 encourage the expansion of the parts and com- 

 plete filling up of the wound. 



Scions are generally taken' from the young 

 shoots of last summer's growth, and from the 

 outside lateral branches. They should be ga- 

 thered several weeks before the season for graft- 

 ing arrives, as experience has shown that grafting 

 may most successfully be performed by allowing 

 the stock to have some advantage over the graft 

 in forwardness of vegetation. It is desirable that 

 the sap of the stock should be in brisk motion 

 at the time of grafting. 



Grafting clay is prepared either from stiff yel- 

 low or blue clay, or from clayey loam, well beat 

 up with a fourth of horse dung and a little chop- 

 ped hay. The French and Dutch use one half 

 fresh cow dung free from litter, and one half 

 fresh loam. 



Budding or grafting iy gems. This is per- 

 formed by taking an eye or bud of a liqueous 

 plant attached to a portion of the bark, and in- 

 serting it into the bark of another stem. This 

 IJrocess may also be performed with herbaceous 

 plants, but not so successfully. Budding is per- 

 formed any time from the beginning of July to 

 the middle of August, regulated by the time at 

 which the bud is formed on the axillse of the leaf 

 of the cun-ent year. The buds are known to be 

 ready by the shield or portion of bark to which 

 they are attached easily parting with the wood. 



They should be gathered in a cloudy day, or in 

 the evening,and used as soon as possible, although 

 they may be sent to a considerable distance, pre- 

 served in moist moss. 



In cutting off the bud, insert the knife half 

 an inch below it, and cut upwards a slice of the 

 wood along with the bark, to half an inch above 

 the bud. The bud being thus disengaged, the 

 woody part is to be carefully separated from the 

 bark, and the bud examined, to ascertain that it 

 is sound and perfect. A horizontal slit is next 

 to be made in the tree or stock where the bud is 

 to be inserted, and then another slit perpendicu- 

 lar, cutting in both cases through the bark into 

 the wood, and forming an incision in shape of the 

 letter T. The bark in the perpendicular slit is 

 to be gently raised a little from the wood on 

 each side, and the lower portion of the bark of 

 the bud slipped into the opening; the upper 

 portion of the bark is next to be cut across hori- 

 zontally, corresponding to the horizontal cut or 

 upper portion of the T, so as that the incised 

 edge of both barks may come into exact contact. 

 The wound is now bound round with a piece of 

 wetted bast. This operation is sometimes prac- 

 tised by reversing the incision, thus j. 



Scallop budding is performed by paring a thin 

 tongue-shaped portion of bark from the stock, 

 and applying the bud, without divesting it of its 

 portion of wood, so as that the barks of both 

 may exactly fit, and tying it in the usual way. 

 Tliese buds generally adhere in a fortnight or 

 three weeks, and may be known to have done 

 so, by their fresh growing appearance. 



Propagation hy cuttings. This process is ex- 

 ceedingly simple and easy in the case of many 

 trees, as the willows and poplars; but requires 

 some management in the heaths, myrtles, and 

 other shrubs. Cuttings are to be chosen from 

 the side shoots of plants, especially those which 

 show a tendency to droop towards the ground, 

 and the proper time for doing this is when the 

 sap is in full motion. The cuttings should con- 

 tain a portion of last year's wood, or of wood so 

 far formed, and after it has assumed its proper 

 brown colour. Cuttings from herbaceous plants 

 are chiefly taken from the low growths, but they 

 will also succeed occasionally from the flower 

 stems. The cuttings should be prepared, so as 

 that the lower end terminates in a joint or bud 

 when the leaves spring out, and the upper leaves 

 should be left on the branch. 



In plants difficult to strike, it is a general 

 practice before cutting them off from the parent 

 plant, to cut a ring round the bark, and after 

 remaining on the parent branch for a short time, 

 till a callus is formed, they are cut off below the 

 ring and inserted into earth. Tender cuttings, 

 when planted in pots, should be placed near 

 the sides, not in the middle, with their lower 

 ends touching the bottom of the pot, or resting 



