PROPAGATION BY GRAFTING. 



331 



making a sloping cut of about the same length as 

 the cut in the stock; then make a tongue to corre- 

 spond with that in the stock, but cut upward in- 

 stead of downward. The scion is then to be 

 placed on the stock, inserting the tongue of the 

 former into the tongue of the latter (c) ; bring the 

 two edges of the cut in the top of the stock and 

 the two edges of the cut in bottom of the scion to 

 meet exactly ; or, if the graft be larger than the 

 stock, so that both edges of the bark of the 

 former cannot meet the corresponding edges of 

 the latter, then let one of the edges meet — but 

 this must be done with great precision. The 

 stock and scion, being thus joined, must be 

 bound closely together by soft matting, begin- 

 ning to wind it round the stock an inch or two 

 below the part grafted, and continued upward 

 to the top of the stock; and this, if well done, 

 will in many cases be sufficient to secure suc- 

 cess even without the application of clay. A 

 ball of well-prepared clay (some use grafting- 

 wax) is then formed round the stock and scion, 

 when the operation may be considered finished. 

 The use of the clay or wax is in order more 

 effectually to exclude the air until the union 

 takes place ; and both this, and the chance of 

 the clay falling off during dry weather, will be 

 secured by drawing up earth around the ball so 

 as nearly to reach its top — that is to say, when the 

 graft is put on near the ground. When it is 

 placed at a greater height, such as in the case of 

 standard trees, then a little moss or soft hay 

 tied over it will be equally efficient as a non- 

 conductor of heat and moisture. The clay or 

 wax envelop is intended also to preserve the 

 graft in a uniform temperature, and so prevent 

 the rising sap from being checked by cold days 

 or nights. When the scion and stock are both 

 of kinds that do not unite freely, the tongue is 

 sometimes omitted, but in that case more care 

 is required in tying. In the case of shoots hav- 

 ing much pith, such as those of the rose, the 

 graft is often put on the stock without being 

 tongued into it. 



In the French mode of whip-grafting there is 

 no more pared off the stock than exactly the 

 breadth of the scion; and in the early days of 

 grafting in this country it was performed with- 

 out a tongue, the addition of which gave rise 

 to the term, as that of whip-grafting owes its 

 name to the manner in which the scion and 

 stock are cut so as to fit each other when se- 

 cured in the manner of a whip-thong to the 

 shaft or handle. The term splice is borrowed, 

 evidently, from nautical phraseology. 



Sometimes, in this mode of grafting, the stock 

 is not shortened down to the scion, but a por- 

 tion of it is left with a bud at its extremity, the 

 better to secure the rising of the sap to the 

 graft. Some operators cut a notch in the scion 

 immediately under a bud, which notch is made 

 to rest on the top of the stock ; and if both 

 stock and scion are of the same size, the top of 

 the latter is certain of being healed over the 

 first season. 



A sub-variety of splice-grafting, fig. 101, is 

 often practised in the case of peaches, " nec- 

 tarines, apricots, and other tender shoots with 

 large pith. It is found of advantage to have a 



quarter of an inch of two-year- old wood at the 

 lower extremity of the scion, and to have the 

 stock cut with a dovetail notch. 

 In the case of the fruit trees 

 mentioned, the buds of the scion 

 on the back and front are re- 

 moved, leaving two on each side 

 and a leader; and when these 

 have grown 6 or 8 inches, their 

 extremities are pinched off with 

 the finger and thumb, by which 

 means each shoot will throw out 

 two others : this produces in au- 

 tumn a finely-shaped tree with 

 ten branches. Such trees will 

 bear two or three fruits the se- 

 cond year from the graft." — 

 Gardeners Magazine. 



Downing describes American 

 whip or tongue grafting as fol- 

 lows : Having chosen the stock, 

 " cut it off at the point where it 

 appears best to fix the graft. If 

 the stock is quite small, it may 

 be within 3 or 4 inches of the 

 spues -grafting g™ un(L Then, with a .very sharp 

 the peach, knite, make a smooth cut up- 

 wards about 2 inches in length. 

 Next make a slit from the top of this cut about 

 one-fourth of the way downwards, taking out a 

 thin tongue of wood. Cut the scion 4 or 5 inches 

 long, or so as to have three buds; then shape 

 the lower end with a single smooth sloping cut 

 about the same length as that on the stock, and 

 make the tongue upward to fit in the downward 

 slit of the stock. Now apply the scion accu- 

 rately to the stock, making the inner bark of the 

 scion Jit exactly the inner bark of the stock, at 

 least on one side. Without changing their posi- 

 tion, tie them together carefully with a piece of 

 best matting or tape, and finally cover the 

 wound with well-prepared grafting clay or wax. 

 This ball of clay should more than cover the 

 union by an inch above and below, and should 

 be about an inch thick. If grafting-wax be 

 used, it need not be above half an inch thick. 

 About the middle of July," for plants in the 

 open air, " after a rainy day, remove the ball of 

 clay, and if the graft is securely united, also 

 the bandage; and the angle left at the top of the 

 stock should now be cut off smoothly, in order 

 to allow the bark of the stock and the scion 

 to heal nearly over the whole wound." Mr 

 Downing further remarks, " Though it is little 

 attended to in common practice, the amateur 

 will be glad to know that the success of a graft 

 is always greatly insured by choosing the parts 

 so that a bud is left near the top of the stock, 

 and another near the bottom of the scion. 

 These buds attract the rising sap to the por- 

 tions where they are placed from woody matter, 

 and greatly facilitate the union of the parts 

 near them, the upper part of the stock and the 

 lower part of the scion being the portions 

 soonest liable to perish from a want of nourish- 

 ment." 



Saddle-grafting (fig. 102) is practised only 

 where the stock is of moderate dimensions. 

 The stock (a) is cut into a wedge-like form, and 



