246 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



Fig. 313 —Inarching. 



quently been observed to be united, but this 

 only occurs when the barks of contiguous parts 

 are bruised or fretted, so that the alburnums 

 can come in contact. 



Inarching was formerly more employed for 

 uniting two or more trees for picturesque effect 

 than for the purpose of propagation. In rustic 

 gardens, for instance, doorways 

 were formed by planting two 

 trees of the same kind, one on 

 each side of the intended en- 

 trance; these were trained up- 

 right to the desired height, and 

 then their tops were bent to 

 form a Gothic arch, and united 

 where brought into contact, so 

 as to form but one head. Trees 

 to form arbours, &c, may be so 

 united, or the stems of several 

 trees may be inarched to a 

 central one, which may ulti- 

 mately be rendered independent 

 of its own stem and roots. But 

 inarching is now chiefly em- 

 ployed for propagating such exotic plants as 

 cannot be readily propagated by other means. 



There are various modifications of inarching, 

 all nevertheless depending on the principle of 

 bringing the cambium of the individuals into 

 contact. The simplest mode is represented in 

 fig. 313, where A is the stock, B the plant to be 

 inarched upon it. The two may be planted and 

 growing in the ground, one of them may be 

 growing in a pot, and the other in the ground, 

 or both may be in pots, but in each case the 

 mode of proceeding is essentially the same. At 

 a convenient place where A and B can be brought 

 in contact, as between a and b, cut off corre- 

 sponding slices from each ; then bind the parts 

 together, and clay or otherwise protect, as in 

 grafting. The stock may be allowed to remain 

 at full length, or it may be cut back to c or d, 

 and afterwards to a. When the two have formed 

 a union, B may be separated from its own roots, 

 by cutting it off in the direction of b, thus leav- 

 ing it wholly dependent for support upon the 

 roots of the plant A. Before this final sejmra- 

 tion is made, it is advisable to wean off gradu- 

 ally the portion b e from its original source of 

 nourishment, by making an incision below b, 

 deepening it from time to time, till at last there 

 is but little communication left between B and 

 its proper roots, when that little may be cut off 

 without causing any material difference to the 

 inarched part be. Instead of diminishing the 

 connection between the inarched part and its 



own roots, by gradually cutting in at or below 

 b, it is a good plan to take off a narrow ring of 

 bark, when the nature of the plant will permit. 

 This may be done by degrees as the union is 

 effected. The sap will flow upwards, through 

 the vessels of the alburnum, to nourish the parts 

 above b, but the returning sap will be checked 

 when it comes to the ringed part, and must 

 then direct itself with greater force towards the 

 junction, and will consequently flow down in 

 greater quantity by the liber of the stock A. 

 Now it cannot do so without forming a pro- 

 portionally greater quantity of alburnum as it 

 descends; and by the vessels of the alburnum 

 so formed sap will be conveyed upwards to the 

 source of their origin in B. If buds are retained 

 on A, with the view of maintaining the necessary 

 amount of circulation in the stock till that can 

 be done by B, care should be taken to check the 

 shoots that push from them; for if allowed to 

 grow vigorously, they would attract the sap 

 from the part B. On referring to the figure, it 

 will be observed that on the separation being 

 effected at b, there must be a heel left at that 

 place, which will take some considerable time 

 to heal over. 



Inarching is sometimes done with a tongue, 

 but in any case it does not form so nice a 

 junction as whip-grafting, where, in consequence 

 of the lower end of the scion being made thin, 

 there is scarcely any equality. 



The stems of young trees are frequently in- 



Fig. 314.— Sylvan Inarching. 



arched, so as to form a lozenge-shaped trellis- 

 work, or an arch, as in fig. 314. Summer 

 shoots may also be inarched on shoots of the 

 same age, or on a stem or branch several years 

 older than themselves. In this way branches 



