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1. It enables us to cultivate, on roots foreign to the plant 
itself, fruit-trees which, on their own roots, would fail to thrive in 
soils uncongenial. Thus the pear on the quince, the peach on the 
plum or the almond, can be cultivated on a wider range of soils 
than would be practicable were they growing on their own roots. 
2. It enables us to propagate plants which could not be pro- 
pagated true to name from seeds. This is the case with most highly 
improved plants. 
3. It is an easy and valuable means of rapidly propagating 
some sorts of plants, and of obtaining a large amount of wood 
from a shoot of a rare or choice variety. 
4. It also enables us to combat blights and pests by using 
either roots or top of varieties little subject, or not liable to, the 
attacks of such pests. Thus most apples are now worked on roots 
of the Northern Spy or the Winter Majetin, varieties proof against 
the woolly aphis; and also the choicer European vines are grafted 
on phylloxera-resistant stock. 
5. It is a valuable means of speedily obtaining large trees of 
kinds by working scions of such kinds on the top of high stems. 
6. It is a ready means of replacing varieties of little or no 
value possessing vigorous roots and substituting for their tops 
varieties better adapted to one’s requirements. 
7. It is often practised for uniling on the same stock branches 
of unisexual trees, or of plants which need be within reasonable 
proximity to become fruitful. This plan is recommended in the 
ease of the Smyrna fig, which is sterile unless fertilised by the 
blastophaga wasp, which dwells within the Capri fig. 
GRAFTING TOOLS AND MATERIALS. 
A saw, a pocket-knife, and a chisel, dexterously used, are often 
the only tools used for grafting. Those tools, however, best suited 
for the work have been described in the chapter on pruning. 
The knife, which is used for eutting and facing and preparing 
the grafts, should be kept sharp, so as to make a clean cut. 
Grafting Knife. 
The saw should be thin, fine-toothed wide-set teeth, so as not 
to clog. It should be kept well set. 
Two good patterns of such saws are here illustrated. They are 
thus described by Mr. B. M. Lelong, the late Secretary of the State 
