THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 



July, 1913 



Crafting the Vine. 



The ojJeration of grafting is 

 siir.'ple, whilst the results of con- 

 verting a \ine yielding grapes of 

 poor quality into one giving a 

 much superior cro]), is as satisfac- 

 tory to the home gardener as it 

 is in maUv cases necessarv when 

 grownng for market. Vine grafting 

 is, of course, the same as anv other 

 grafting, and it is nccessar\-' to re- 

 member that growth takes place in 

 a special tissue of cells, known as 

 the cambium layer, situated be- 

 tween the bark and the older or 

 hard wood of the stem of the vine. 

 If the reader will take any shoot 

 of a growing plant, and peel off 

 the bark, he will find the cambium 

 layer represented bv the soft, 

 sappy tissue just underneath. It 

 is important that he shoidd dis- 

 tinguish this cambiumi laver, and 

 remember the fact that growth 

 takes place there, because it will 

 enable him to understand that in 

 making a graft he mu.st place the 

 cam.bium of the scion in contact 

 with the cambium of the stock, so 

 that the new tissue may unite the 

 two into one plant. 



Kveryone is familiar with the 

 formation of callus on the base of 

 a cutting before it sends out 

 roots, which forms most readily 

 in the 'neighbourhood of a node, or 

 " joint. Now, in a sen.se, the work 



of starting growth in a scion may 

 be likened to the starting of a 

 cutting, i.e., in order that the 

 scion may grow to the stock, it 

 must callus, and, being in clo.se 

 contact with the cambium of the 

 stock, the callusing of the two 

 forms a imion. In order to do 

 this the conditions are that the air 

 must be sullicientlv exchided to 

 jirevent the drying of the tissue, 

 the stock . and scion must be in 

 close contact, the gromng tissue, 

 i.e., the cambium, must come to- 

 gether, and the temperature and 

 moivSturc conditions must be favor- 

 able. 



These conditions are secured by 

 careful fitting of scion and stock, 

 loinding them together, and cover- 

 ing the whole of the cut surfaces 

 with either soil, clay, or grafting 

 wax. In vine grafting it is usual 

 to graft below the surface of the 

 soil, and cover with soil, which 

 must be neither too wet or too 

 dr\'. The soil aff'^t-ds the neces- 

 sarv {irbtection, and at the same 

 time permits of the supply of the 

 oxvgen necessary for the healing 

 of the wound, i.e., the imion of the 

 stock and scion. 



As the success of grafting de- 

 pends on the imion 'of the scion 

 and stock, it is, as a rule, neces- 

 sary first that the sap sihould, be 

 movintr at the time. It is also 

 desirable that the weather condi- 



tions should be favorable, i.e., 

 neither wet and cold nor vet hot 

 and drying. Experience and opin- 

 ions differ as to whether early or 

 late grafting is better. Vines 

 can be grafted in sum.mer either 

 hy using wood which has lieen kept 

 dormant in sand in a cold, dark 

 place, or by using well hardened 

 wood of the current season's 

 growth. Vines mav also be graft- 

 ed readilv in autumn, say, \ just 

 after the grapes are ripe. The graft 

 heals and the shoot remains dor- 

 mant until next spring. 



For a few vinqs, a saw to cut off 

 the old vine, a good sharp knife to 

 trim it, and cut the scion, and an 

 ordinarv chisel to split the stock 

 are all that are required. For ex- 

 tensive work a wedge-shaped chisel 

 is desirable. For tying ordinary 

 binder twine is as good as any- 

 thing. It is strong when used, 

 but rots by the time it is needed 

 no longer. 



It is desirable in spring grafting 

 of the vine to take the stock at 

 the time when the sap is flowing, 

 but not flowing too freely, lest the 

 excessive bleeding cause unduly 

 moist conditions. The scion, <m 

 the other hand, is preferably in a 

 dormant condition, so that the 

 callusing may begin beforei the 

 leaves open, and allow of the cir- 

 culation of sap, and the proper 

 union under the most favorable 

 conditions. 



Vines are frequently grafted some 

 distance below the surface soil, the 

 object being to provide a double 

 root system, but it is certainly not 

 necessary, and may. be prejudicial 

 to the growth of the renewed vine. 

 Equally good results are obtained 

 l)y putting in the graft or grafts 

 at ground level, in ordier to do 

 which it is necessary, or at all 

 events desirable, to remove the 

 soil immediately around the stem 

 of the vine in( order to give a little 

 clear working space. 'Saw or cut 

 the stock off horizontally about 

 half an inch below the surface, and 

 smooth over the top of the section. 

 With knife or chisel, as may be 

 needed by the thickness of the 

 stock, split the stock open and 

 insert a small hardwood wedge to 

 keep it open. Then take the scion 

 and'in.sert it at the side of the split 

 in the stock, taking care that the 

 cambium layers of stock and scion 

 correspond, for this is the vital 

 l)oint in success. Remove the 

 wooden wedge, tie the stock tight- 

 ly with binder twine, put in a 

 stout stake, and fill in the soil, 

 heaping it over the scion. The 

 scion may be completely covered, 

 as the soil will sink a little. 



FRUIT TREES. 



By far the Largest Stock in Australia. 

 200 Acres -Clean, Healthy, Well-Grown, and Free from Insect Pests. 



Inspection Invited. 



CATALOGUES FREE BV POST. 



C. A. NOBELIUS, 



Qembrook PvJurseries, 



Emerald (Vic), Australia 



