140 



THE EDITOR'S ALPHABET OF GARDENING. 



this part applied to the same part of the stock, and, if these differ in thickness, 

 at least on one side. Nothing can be more erroneous than the doctrine that 

 the buds of the graft " send woody matter downwards, which passes through the 

 cellular substance into the stock, and covers the wood of the stock with new 

 wood for every gardener knows that the graft never changes the wood of 

 the stock. This is beautifully shown in the preceding figures, after M. Turpin. 



" One of the most obvious principles of this process is, that the sorts to be 

 grafted should be alike, or nearly alike, because, in that case, the arrangement 

 of the sap and pulp vessels being similar, their cut ends will more readily apply 

 mouth to mouth, and less obstruction or interruption of the circulating juices 

 will take place. The ash may, however, be grafted on the olive. 



" To this principle there is an exception, arising from the peculiar design which 

 the graft is intended to fulfil. When the design is to increase fruit-bearing, the 

 stock may be of firmer texture than the cutting, as in the preceding figure of the 

 black heart and bird cherry, or when a peach cutting is grafted on a plum stock, 

 which, having narrow vessels, a part of the descending pulp is stopped short 

 and serves to strengthen the branch. If it be intended to increase the branches 

 and leaves on the other hand, a plum cutting grafted on a peach stock might 

 probably do so, by allowing the ascent of more sap. 



" I refer, for illustration, to the following figures, from M. Turpin. 



a f d 



b g e 



" a, the Pavia lutea, a shrub, which never attains the size of a tree, cleft-grafted on the horse- 

 chesnut b, a tree of great size. It . is remarkable that the Pavia is much enlarged near the junc- 

 tion c, like a tree near the ground, a circumstance which would not have occurred but for the 

 graft. The bark of each remains distinct, d, the white lime-tree grafted on the European lime 

 tree, e ; each growing in diameter according to its particular nature, without any intermixture at 

 the line of graft, c ; a vertical section, /, g, of an almond tree /, cleft-grafted on a Prunus g, 

 showing that not one of the characteristics of the two individuals ever passes the line of junction, 

 v, c, no more than a spur grafted on the comb of the cock ever changes its hard horny nature for 

 the soft fleshy nature of the comb. 



" Binding of the Graft. 

 " When the joining has been made by cutting and properly fitting the bark of 

 the slip to the bark of the stock, at least on one side thereof, it must be bound 

 so as to prevent this junction from being deranged. This is usually done with 

 a ball of three parts of clay free from stones, well worked w ith one paTt of fresh 

 horse-droppings and a little finely-chopped straw, the whole about an inch 

 thick, and two inches or more in length, being tied with a ribband of bass. 



