■52 



THE ART OF 



pots. In the second year of their growth they are placed 

 among the branches of the parent-tree. For this purpose a 

 stage with steps or shelves is erected, on which the stocks are 

 placed within reach of different branches. The pots placed on 

 each shelf are surrounded with a bed of moss, tan, sand, or other 

 material, which will retain a moist coolness ; for it will be 

 difficult to water them, and rain and dew will be intercepted 

 by the foliage. When a tree is intended to serve as a parent 

 in grafting by approach, it is well to excite the sap to flow 

 towards the scion -branches, especially at the time of grafting. 

 Accordingly, the branches not used for grafting should be 

 lopped or shortened without weakening the tree. This 

 suppression of some of the branches will cause a greater flow 

 of sap to the others which are to be used as scions. It also 

 enables us to repeat the operation of grafting by approach 

 every year with the same parent-tree. The shoots which are 

 developed by the cutting of the branches which are not grafted 

 will serve in their turn, should there be need of them, for 

 scions the following season, just when the detachment of the 

 previous year's grafts is commenced. 



Grafting by Approach applied to the Restoring of Plants. 



This is not the only method in use for the restoration of 

 defective plants, but it is a valuable one when the object is to 

 change the variety of the tree, to renew its stem, or to repair 

 the want or loss of branches. Of each of these cases we give 

 an example : — 



1, Changing the Variety. — The vine is restored in this way. 

 Alongside the stock which it is desired to change to another 

 variety, is planted in winter a young vine well rooted and 

 furnished with a thoroughly ripened shoot. When the time 

 for grafting arrives, in April, the stock is cut down according 



