242 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



Fig. 306.— Herbaceous Grafting- 

 Resinous Trees. 



diameter ought to be as nearly as possible equal to 

 that of the stock. The graft being placed, it is 

 secured with coarse worsted, commencing the 

 tying at the top and 

 winding it down to the 

 lower part. In the case 

 of delicate species it is 

 well to wrap paper round 

 the grafted part as a pro- 

 tection against the drying 

 action of the sun and air. 

 The shoots at c are then 

 broken at about \ inch 

 from their bases. Five 

 or six weeks after graft- 

 ing, the cuts will be com- 

 pletely healed; the tie 

 may then be removed, 

 and the two portions d 

 furnished with leaves at 

 the top of the stock should 



be cut off, otherwise they might give rise to 

 buds, which, in pushing, would weaken the graft. 



8. Root-grafting. — Many kinds of plants may 

 be increased by root-grafting more quickly than 

 by any other means when stocks are not in 

 readiness. 



It is conducted on the same principle as the 

 grafting of stems and branches, already ex- 

 plained. When vegetation is at rest the roots 

 ought to be severed from the base of the stem, 

 and if the latter can be entirely removed so 

 much the better. The cut end of the root 

 should be raised nearly upright, if possible, so 

 that the scion when put on may point upwards. 

 The part of the root operated upon must then 

 be washed, or otherwise freed from soil, in order 

 that the wound may be clean. The graft should 

 be tied and clayed to prevent wet from entering 

 the wound ; and the root ought then to be again 

 covered with soil, which should also cover the 

 grafted part, leaving only one or two buds of 

 the scion exposed. When the graft pushes, the 

 ligature must be loosened, as in the case of grafts 

 above-ground. In grafting fleshy roots and 

 tubers, such as those of the Dahlia and Paeony, 

 the stock is cut in a triangular form, and a piece 

 of exactly the same shape is fitted in. The mode 

 is the same as that represented in fig. 303. 

 Portions of root may be used as stocks; for 

 instance, the garden varieties of Clematis are 

 propagated by grafting young shoots in early 

 spring on to pieces of root, a few inches long, 

 of C. Fitalba, &c. 



Grafting-clay. — This may consist of two parts 

 clay, or clayey loam, and one part of cow-dung, 



free from litter; but we have found from expe- 

 rience that some fine, tough, short hay, mixed 

 and beaten up with the clay and cow-dung, is of 

 great utility in preventing the clay from cracking 

 and falling off. In fact, it answers the same pur- 

 pose as hair in plaster. Some recommend horse- 

 dung to be used instead of cow-dung, others part 

 of both ; but cow-dung is best for retaining mois- 

 ture. It should be prepared several weeks 

 before it is required by well mixing it and 

 keeping it moist. 



The grafting- wax generally used in this country 

 is made as follows : — Rosin, 4 lbs. ; tallow, 2 lbs. ; 

 bees'-wax, 1 lb. These are melted and well mixed, 

 then poured into cold water and pulled with the 

 hands till the whole is white and of the con- 

 sistency of soft putty. The use of grafting- wax 

 is to keep out air and moisture ; and, provided it 

 does that, the softer it is the better. 



It is a question whether grafting-clay or wax 

 is the better ; some prefer the one and some the 

 other. In grafting small and delicate plants clay 

 cannot be well applied, and therefore it becomes 

 necessary to use some kind of grafting- wax; but 

 in the case of strong plants, such as fruit-trees 

 in the open air, clay is preferable. It retains 

 moisture for the benefit of the scion, whilst 

 no moisture can be derived from the grafting- 

 wax, and the scion is apt to be dried up before 

 it has time to form a union. Cold dry weather 

 may ensue after grafting, so that little progress 

 towards forming a union can take place. During 

 such periods the scions are enabled to retain their 

 vitality by absorbing moisture from the clay. 

 Again, it is well known that the bark of trees is 

 not liable to be injured by contact with common 

 earthy substances; its expansion is rather pro- 

 moted than otherwise, a circumstance which is 

 favourable to the flow of sap. Of pitchy sub- 

 stances, on the contrary, even not specifically 

 injurious in their ingredients, the mere me- 

 chanical effects are bad. The French cold graft- 

 ing-wax called Mastic H Homme Lefort is an 

 extremely convenient preparation, which is easily 

 applied without being artificially heated, soon 

 hardens when exposed to the air, is readily re- 

 moved when necessary, and has been used with 

 the best results in the most delicate kinds of 

 grafting. 



XL — Propagation by Budding. 



Budding is an operation by which a bud, to- 

 gether with a portion of bark, is removed from 

 a plant, and inserted beneath the inner bark of 

 another plant, or beneath that of the same plant ; 



