GRAFTING. 



fure.brouglit into contaft anil tlieieby uirlteJ, as well as 

 thole of tlic latter fupplied witli iiutiitious malttij from the 

 former, yet their economy remains Hill the fame. Mr. Brad- 

 lg,v lias confiJercJ it as a fort of planting; the flioot or 

 fcion riitl-icr taking root in the llotk or tree into which it 

 is infcrtcd, than uniting itfelf with it, as is fcen by its pre- 

 ferving its natural purity and utility, although fed and fup- 

 ported merely by a crab-ftock; which it is fuppofcd depends 

 upon fome difference in the veffels of the flioot or fcion from 

 thofe of the ftock or tree. 



GRAFTING, the act of infcrting a flioot or fcion 

 taken from one tree, into the ftem or fome other part of 

 another, in fuch a manner as to unite and conftitute a perfect 

 plant of the fame kind as that from which the branch was 

 taken. . 



It is by this practice that particular forts ot curious fruit- 

 trees of different kinds are tajxible of being raifed with a 

 certainty of their being the fame, or not degenerating. It 

 has been obferved, that though the plants raifed from feed 

 are liable to run from their kinds, and afford fuch fruits as 

 are not worth the trouble of cultivation; thofe procured 

 from flioots taken from fuch trees as produce good fruit, 

 never alter from their kind, whatever the itock or tree on 

 which they are grafted may be; as notwithitauding the 

 "■rafts receive their nourifliment from the ftocks, their varie- 

 ties are never altered by ' them, but continue to produce the 

 fame kind of fruit as the tree from which they were taken : 

 the only alteration which they undergo is, that when the 

 ftocks on which they are grafted do not grow fo fall, and 

 afford a fufficient fupply of uouridiment to the grafts, they 

 do not make fo great a progrefs as they otherwiie would do, 

 nor is the fruit they produce fo fair, or fometiiues I'o well 

 flavoured, or fo large. 



This procefs has the advantage, probably from the fupply 

 of nutritious matter being not only more abundant but more 

 regular, of rendering the plants or trees which are thus 

 raifed more quick in their arriving at the ftate of maturity, 

 or that of bearing. 



It is on thefc different accounts that the practice of graft- 

 ing is princriially had recourfe to, in raifmg different forts 

 of fruit trees, as well as fome particular forts of ornamental 

 plants of the tree and flower kinds. It alfo affords the 

 means of growing different kinds of fruits and tlowers of 

 the fame fort, in the fame ftock or tree, as feveral varieties 

 of pears and apples, Sec. 



There are different methods of performing this operation, 

 and which are diftinguilhed by different terms or names, as 

 below. 



RhJ, Shoulder, or CroTim Grafting This is that mode 



in which the grafts are fet in a fort of circle or crown, upon 

 the top of the cut-off ftem or branch. 



It is chiefly praftifed on large trees, when either the head 

 or the large branches are cut off horizontally, and two or 

 more flioots or fcions put in, according to the fizc of the 

 branch or ftem: in performing which, the fcions are cut flat 

 on one fide, with a ftioulder to reft upon the crown of the 

 ftock; then the rind of the ftock is raifed up, to admit 

 them between the v.-ood and the bark of the ftock, which 

 niuft be inferted about two inches, fo as that the flioulders 

 may meet, and clofelv join the crown of the ftock; and 

 after the whole of the flioots or fcions are inferted, all the 

 crown of the ftock fliould be well clayed over, leaving two 

 eyes of them uncovered with it, which wili be fufficient for 

 fliooting. It is a method of grafting that was much more 

 in practice form.erly than al prefent, owing to the bad fuc- 

 cefs with which it has been attended ; for, as the fcions are 

 placed between the rind of the ftock and the wood, they 

 are frequently blown out by ftrong winds after they liave 



made large filoots, fomelimcs after five or fix years grovitli. 

 Where this method is praclifcd, there fliould therefore 

 always be fome flakes fixed, fo as to fupport the fcions un- 

 til they have alnioil covered the ftock or branch. It is ufual 

 to perform the operation in this mode of grafting about the 

 beginning of April, or fometimes a little later. 



Stock, Cleft, or SUt-Graflirig. — This is a mode which is 

 praCtifed upon ftocks, trees, or branches, of a fmaller iize, 

 as from one to two inches in diameter, and may be ufed 

 with fuccefs where the rind of the ftock is not too thick, 

 by which the inner bark of the fcion will be prevented from 

 joining to that of the ftock. In performing it the head of 

 the ftock or branch muff be cut off with a flopc, and a flit 

 be made the contrary way, in the top of the flope, deep 

 enough to receive the fcion, which fliould be cut Hoping 

 like a wedge, fo as to lit the flit made in the ftock; care 

 being taken to leave that fide of the wedge which is to be 

 placed outward, much thicker than the other: and in put- 

 ting the fcion into the flit of the ftock, great care muff be 

 taken to join the rind of the fcion exattly to that of the 

 ftock; for if thefe do not unite perfecl;ly, the grafts will 

 not fucceed : when this method of grafting is uied to ftocks 

 that are not ftrong, it will be proper to make a ligature of 

 bafs, to prevent the flit of the ftock from opening: after 

 which the whole fliould be clayed over, to prevent the air 

 from penetrating the flit, fo as to dellroy the grafts, only 

 leaving two eyes of the fcion above the clay for fliooting. 

 It is uuially performed about the beginning of March, or 

 fometimes a little later. 



IVhip, or Tongue-Grafting. — This is moft generally prac- 

 tifed by nurfery-men, efpeciallv for Imall ftocks, or branches 

 of an inch, half an inch, or lefs, as the fcions much fooner 

 cover the ftocks in this method, than in the other. It is 

 performed by cutting off the heads of the ftocks floping; 

 then makir.g a notch in the flope towards the upper part 

 downwards, a little more than half an inch deep, to receive 

 the fcion, which muff be cut with the flope upward, and a 

 flit made in this flope like a tongue, which tongue muft be 

 inferted into the flit made in the flope of the ftock, and the 

 fcion be placed on one fide of the ftock, fo as that the two 

 rinds of the fcion and ilock may be equal, and join together 

 exactly ; after which, there fliould be a ligature of bafs put 

 round to fallen the fcion, fo as that it may not be eafily dif- 

 placed, the whole being afterwards clayed over as in the for- 

 mer methods. It may be performed in the early fpring 

 months, with moft fuccefs. 



There are, befides tlieie, fome other m.odes of performing 

 the bufincis. 



Grafting by Approach, or Inarch-Grafting — This is fome- 

 times called ablactation. It is performed where the ftocks 

 that are defigned to be grafted, and the trees from which 

 the graft is to be taken, ftand lo near together, as that their 

 branches may be bent and miited. It is moft commonly 

 practifcd on tender exotic plants, and fome other forts 

 which do not fucceed in any of the other methods. In per- 

 forming the work, a part i:>'i the ftock or branch is flit off 

 about two inches in length, a fniooth part of t!;e ftock be- 

 VAi always chofen for the pui-pofe ; then a fmall notch is 

 made in this flit downward, in the fame manner as dire£ted 

 for whip-grafting ; the branch of the tree defigned to be 

 inarcht;d having a part flit off in the fame manner as the 

 ftock, and a flit made upward in it, fo as to leave a tongue, 

 which tongue fliould be inierted into the flit ol the ftock, 

 joiuing-.their rinds equally, that they may unite well together ; 

 after which a ligature of bafs fliould be made, fo as to keep 

 them exactly in their fituation, and afterwards this pai-t of 

 the ftock clayed over well to keep out the air. In this me- 

 thod of grafting, the fcion is not feparated from the tree 



until 



