1876 GEAPTING 41 



was always perfect ; but what I went wrong in was not 

 having the cork-borers made of the best steel ; for 

 after I got about one hundi'ed potatoes planted out, 

 I found that the inserted plugs did not adhere. I 

 therefore tried some sections with an exceedingly 

 sharp knife that surgeons use for amputating, and 

 the surfaces cut with this always adhered under 

 pressure. The knife, however, must be set up in a 

 guide, in order to get the surfaces perfectly flat. Xext 

 year I shaU get cork-borers made of the same steel 

 as this knife is made of, and then hope to turn out 

 graft-hybrids by the score. Even this year, however, 

 a great many of my potatoes are coming up, so I hope 

 that some of the eyes may have struck. I think it is 

 desirable to get some easy way of experimenting 

 with potatoes (such as the cork-boring plan), and one 

 independent of dehcacy in manipulation, for then 

 everybody could verify the results for himself, and not, 

 as now, look with suspicion upon the success of other 

 people. 



With beans I get very good adhesion of the young 

 shoots, but the parts which grow after the operation 

 always continue separate. In some cases I am trying 

 a succession of operations as the plant grows. 



With beetroots and mangold-wurzel of all 

 varieties, adhesion is certain to occur with my method 

 of getting up great pressure by allowing the plants 

 to grow for a few days inside the binding. I have 

 therefore made grafts of all ages, beginning with 

 roots only an inch or two long and as thin as threads. 



The other vegetables also are doing well, but with 

 flowers I have had no success. The vine-cuttings 



