METHODS OF GRAFTING 25 1 



Beets are very easy to graft, nearly every graft has been suc- 

 cessful in European experiments. The color boundary line between 

 stock and cion is clearly marked, red varieties not blending with 

 white ones. Grafted beets are slightly dwarfed, as are also other 

 plants, thus supporting Daniel's contention that one efifect of grafting 

 is to dwarf growth, another to retard the flowering season and in 

 some cases to render plants more subject to pest attack. Potatoes 

 with smooth, green skin and deep eyes grafted on those with thick, 

 rough, brown skin and shallow eyes often bore both kinds of 

 tubers, sometimes parts of each kind on the same tuber. 



327. Potato grafted on tomato experimentally produced no tubers 

 and the tops, although they bloomed freely, bore no seed balls. 

 Tomato on potato bore a fair crop of apparently normal tomatoes 

 and a few tubers which, however, did not grow when planted. 



328. Eggplant grafted. — \'an Hermann asserts that the 

 only practical way to grow eggplant during the rainy sea- 

 son in Cuba is to graft it on Solanum tortiim, a wild 

 species employed l)y the Cuba Experiment Station. 



329. Cactus grafting. — Grafting, says an Iowa experimenter, 

 hastens the flowering season of cacti, places trailing species on 

 strong stocks at any desired height where their flowers may be 

 seen to better advantage. It also prevents injuries from over- 

 watering. Healthy stocks and cions readily unite when in the 

 actively growing season for them. The beginning of this period is 

 best. Top working alone should be done ; root grafting never, 

 since the cion will itself strike root if in contact with soil. Cleft 

 grafting is most popular, but whip grafting may be used with better 

 results on slender species, and saddle grafting with thick ones. 

 Ball species may be cut square across and the similarly cut cion 

 fitted on top. Both should be about the same size. Strings over 

 the cion and under tlie pot will hold the two in place. Another 

 favorite way is to hollow the cion, sharpen the stock and fit the 

 two. somewhat as in flute budding. Waxing is unnecessary. 

 Watering should be sparingly done for a few days. Grafting greatly 

 increases the number of flowers, hastens the flowering season and 

 often augments plant vigor by checking the downward flow of 

 food, 



330. Mixed graftage, a French method, differs from the 

 ordinary methods in that a few shoots are allowed to 

 grow permanently upon the stock but kept pruned suf- 

 ficiently to prevent their seriously checking the growth 

 of the cion. By its means a successful union of sweet 

 cherry (Prnniis aiium) and cherry laurel (Pntniis laur- 

 occrassus) as a stock was readily made. This is con- 



