140 TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



at the extremity of the same year's shoots, which is a sign of 

 their having finished their spring growth. 



The first sort commonly inoculated is the apricot, and the 

 last the orange-tree, which should never be done until the mid- 

 dle of August ; and in doing of this work, you should iilways 

 make choice of cloudy weather j for if it be done in the mid- 

 dle of the day, in very hot weather, the shoots will perspire 

 60 fast as to leave the buds destitute of moisture ; nor should 

 you take off the cuttings from the trees long before they are 

 used ; but if you are obliged to fetch your cuttings from some 

 distance, as it often happens, cut off the leaves, but let all the 

 foot-stalks remain, then wrap the cuttings up in wet moss and 

 put them in a tin box (carrying them in a tin case with water 

 being now disused) to exclude the air; in this manner you 

 may carry them to any reasonable distance in good condition 

 for inoculating. 



It is a very improper practice of many persons, to throw 

 their cuttings into water ; for this so saturates the buds with 

 moisture, that they have no attractive force left to imbibe the 

 sap of the stock ; for want of which they very often miscarry. 



But before I quit this subject, I beg leave to observe, that 

 though it is the ordinary practice to divest the bud of that part 

 of the wood which was taken from the shoot with it ; yet, in 

 many sorts of tender trees, it is best to preserve a little wood 

 to the bud, without which they often fail. The not observing 

 this has occasioned some people to imagine, that certain sorts 

 of trees are not to be propagated by inoculation ; whereas, if 

 they had performed it in this method, they might have suc- 

 ceeded, as I have several times experienced. 



The next thing necessary to be known by those who would 

 practise this art is, what trees will take and thrive, by being 

 grafted, or inoculated, upon each other ; and here there have 

 been no sure directions given by any of the writers on this 

 subject ; for there will be found great mistakes in all their 

 books, in relation to the matter ; but, as it would extend this 

 article too far, if all the sorts of trees were to be here enu- 

 merated which will take upon each other by graftmg or bud- 

 ding, I shall only give such general directions as, if attended 

 to, will be sufficient so to instruct persons, as that they may 

 succeed. 



All such trees as are of the same genus, /. e, which agree 

 in their fiower and fruit, will take upon each other : For in- 

 stance, all the nut-bearing trees may be safely grafted on each 

 Other, as may all the plum-bearing trees, under which head I 

 reckon not only the several sorts of plums, but also the al- 



