ON PLANT PROPAGATION. 



967 



outside, the stock may be cut just at the ground-level in an 

 oblique way, varying in length, according to the size of the stock, 

 from lin. to 2in. An eye should be saved at the back of the 

 cut, which will cause the sap to flow up. The selected branch, 

 or scion, must also be cut obliquely to a length corresponding 

 with the one made on the stock, and then the two operated 

 parts must be joined together. If the scion does not properly 

 cover the stock, the cuts must be joined in such a way that the 

 barks will touch each other at least on one side. The scion 

 varies^ in length : in the case of Lilacs, for instance, three eyes 

 are generally kept, one on the back of the cut and two on the 

 top. Binding is also required, and it must not be removed 

 before a perfect union has been effected. This method applies 

 chiefly to Lilacs, Apricots, and Currants. 



General Management of Grafts. — The treatment necessary 

 for the success of the grafts is very varied, and depends on 

 different circumstances — the nature of the subjects, the time of 

 the year when the operation is performed, <S:c. In the case of 

 outdoor operations, it is always preferable to use grafting-wax 

 over the ligature, thus making it air-tight. Grafts requiring 

 protection, such as the majority of the herbaceous and ligneous 

 ones, must be kept in frames under lights in the propagating- 

 house. They do not require bottom-heat, like cuttings : they 

 only need to be kept at a uniform temperature, and to be 

 deprived of air until the union is perfect. The atmosphere 

 in which the plants are kept must not be either too moist or 

 too dry. In the latter case the scion may dry up before being 

 united ; and in the former the excess of humidity may excite the 

 sap, thus making it flow too vigorously. 



The disposition of grafts in the frames may also be men- 

 tioned. When the grafts are too big to stand upright they 

 can be placed on one side or even in an oblique position close 

 to one another. In this case the operated part must be placed 

 on the top, allowing the drips to come down without remaining 

 on the cuts. If the grafts can be kept in an upright position, 

 the part which has been operated upon must be placed in the 

 front, thus enabling the operator to watch the progress of the 

 union. 



When the grafted plants require watering, care should be 

 taken not to moisten the cuts, and as. evaporation is bound to 

 produce a certain amount of condensation on the glass, it is 

 advisable to remove this with a sponge every morning. Shading 

 must be well observed. In large nurseries, where grafting is 

 undertaken on a very large scale, straw and matting are used ; 

 sheets of paper may also be placed on the lights. 



Treatment after Union. — When the union is effected, and 

 both parts are perfectly united, air must be gradually admitted 



