PllOPAaATION. 



257 



that the roots of the native stock are too tender for 

 our northern climate as well as that of America, 

 where whole orchards budded on this stock are ex- 

 tremely liable to a disease called " the yellows," and 

 comparatively early death. The Almond unites 

 freely with any variety of Peach, and may he em- 

 ployed in warm dry soils. The Plum, belonging to 

 the same genus, is extensively employed as a stock 

 for the Peach and Nectarine in British gardens. 

 Various sorts are advocated, and employed on ac- 

 count of their hardiness, the freedom with which 

 they unite with different varieties, as well as a ten- 

 dency to earlier and greater productiveness. This 

 result is brought about by the same dwarfing effect, 

 and the obstruction caused by unequal growth, as 

 observed in the Apple on the Paradise, and the Pear 

 on the Quince. It is very obvious in trees budded 

 standard-high, when, after the lapse of some years, the 

 Peach is often observed twice as thick as the stock 

 immediately above the union. Varieties called the 

 Mussel and White Pear Plum are very extensively 

 used as stocks. , Trees on the Plum stock are more 

 safely transplanted, and at a greater age, than those 

 on the Peach. 



When grafting is practised, it is preferable to use 

 shoots with a little of the two-year-old wood at- 

 tached ; and budding with a piece of wood to the 

 eye may be practised when too early or too late for 

 the ordinary method. In all cases, trees to be 

 worked should be headed down well in advance of 

 growth. One important point in grafting or bud- 

 ding this or any other stone fruit, is to see that 

 wood and not flower-buds are employed. 



The Apricot. — The usual method of propaga- 

 tion in this case is budding, more rarely grafting. 

 Several varieties of the Plum stock are used, and, as 

 in other stone fruits, the best, most vigorous and 

 healthy trees are obtained by sowing the stones. So 

 raised, there is less disposition to gum than when the 

 stocks are layered. The most natural stock for the 

 Apricot would be the native one, and when culti- 

 vated under glass, at aU events, might be employed. 

 The IToorpark variety is stated to succeed badly on 

 any except its native stock, and what seems more 

 remarkable in a long domesticated tree, it can be 

 raised from the stones tolerably true to name. 

 Apricots make their growth early, and budding can 

 be practised from the middle of June for some time 

 onwards. Grafting may be resorted to if budding 

 has failed. Firm, short-jointed wood, with a short 

 piece of two-year-old wood attached, as in the case 

 of the Peach, form the best scions. 



The Flum. — The Plum stock is not only the 

 most natural stock for the Plum, but certain varieties 

 89 



afford more or less superior advantages to others. 

 The Mussel, White Pear Plum, and St. Julien are 

 most frequently propagated as stocks; and this is 

 done by sowing the stones. Stocks are also obtained 

 by layering and suckers. The Plum is generally 

 raised from seed to obtaia new varieties as well as 

 for stocks, but some sorts, such as the Greengage and 

 Damson, perpetuate themselves pretty constantly and 

 correctly by this method. This is the more remark- 

 able in long-cultivated sorts, and shows a tendency 

 to depart from cross-fertilisation, and become habi- 

 tually self-fertOising. 



The Cherry should be grafted in March, before 

 active growth sets in, but the stocks should have 

 been headed down some two or three months 

 previous, and the shoots intended for scions should 

 have been cut and their lower half laid in moist soil 

 in a cool, shady place. Cherries vary much in habit 

 and rate of growth, and in selecting stocks, due re- 

 gard must be had to the habit and vigour of those 

 upon which it is intended to work the respective 

 varieties. Standards are most profitably worked 

 on stocks raised from the stones of strong-growing 

 varieties little altered by cultivation. On the con- 

 trary, stocks raised from the May Duke and MoreUo 

 Cherries are suitable for dwarf or weak-growing 

 cultivated sorts, and Pmmis Mahaleb, from its 

 naturally small size, is particularly adapted for the 

 dwarfest of all. These dwarfing stocks are less 

 liable to gumming than those that necessitate much 

 pinching or pruning. 



The IVHedlar. — This tree, Meapilus germanica, is 

 not very extensively cultivated at the present day, al- 

 though it might still be improved. It is propagated 

 by the usual methods of budding and grafting on 

 several other trees, such as the Quince, Pear, White- 

 thorn, as well as upon the wild Medlar. Stocks are 

 raised from stones or pips, as the case may be, and 

 grafted at the usual time, or budded with what is 

 termed the dormant eye, that is, which does not 

 start till the following spring. The Medlar delights 

 in a rich, rather moist loam, but the effects of a dry 

 soil may be somewhat modified by grafting or 

 budding on the White-thorn, and that of a swampy 

 one by using the Quince as a stock, on account of 

 its shallow-rooting character. 



The Vine. — Besides propagation by eyes and 

 cuttings, the Vine is also grafted and budded in a 

 variety of ways. This is done by some of the 

 methods already described, although differing some- 

 what in detail, and radically so as regards the time 

 for performing the operation. If grafted in spring 



