OP PROPAGATION BY GRAFTING. 217 



Here the mere contact of the two enables the sap 

 flowing upwards through the stock to sustain the life of 

 the scion until the latter can develope its buds, which 

 then send downwards their wood ; at the same time 

 the cellular system of the parts in contact unites by 

 granulations ; and, when the wood descends, it passes 

 through the cellular deposit, and holds the whole toge- 

 ther. The use of " tongueing" is merely to steady the 

 scion, and to prevent its slipping. The advantage of 

 this mode of grafting is the quickness with which it 

 may be performed ; the disadvantage is, that the sur- 

 faces applied to each other are much smaller than can 

 be secured by other means. It is, however, a great 

 improvement upon the old crown-grafting, still em- 

 ployed in the rude unskilful practice of some Conti- 

 nental gardeners, but expelled from Great Britain ; 

 which consists of nothing more than heading down a 

 stock with an exactly horizontal cut, and splitting it 

 through the middle, into which is forced the end of 

 a scion cut into the form of a wedge ; when the whole 

 are bound together. In this method the split in the 

 stock can hardly be made to heal without great care : 

 the union between the edges of the scion and those 



rially upon choosing the exact time or season for performing the 

 operation. In some trees, if it be attempted a few days earlier 

 or later than a certain period, the operator will experience great 

 difficulty in effecting that which might have been done with the 

 greatest ease at a more favourable moment The bark of the stock 

 should part very readily on introducing the budding-knife; the 

 young wood from which the buds are taken should also be in pro- 

 per condition, not too young, as it would not have sufficient consis- 

 tency, but just when assuming the appearance of ripening. A. J. D.] 



10 



