PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
An Abstract of Reports, Papers, and 
Proceedings of the Horticultural 
Society of London, with Notes by a 
Practical Gardener. 
The Advantage of Saddle grafting. — 
In pointing out the advantage of saddle graft- 
ing, which is not new, hut which, I believe, 
.has rarely been properly executed, it will be 
necessary that I describe the motion of the 
sap, as I conceive it to be, at the period when 
grafts are most advantageously inserted. The 
graft first begins its efforts to unite itself to 
the stock j ust at the period when the formation 
of a new internal layer of bark commences in 
the spring; and the fluid, which generates 
this layer of bark, and which also feeds the 
inserted graft, radiates in every direction from 
the vicinity of the medulla [pith] to the ex- 
ternal surface of the alburnum [sap wood]. 
The graft is of course most advantageously 
placed when it presents the largest surface to 
receive such fluid, and when the fluid itself is 
made to deviate least from its natural course. 
This takes place most efficiently when a graft 
of nearly equal size with the stock is divided 
at its base and made to stand astride the stock, 
and when the two divisions of the graft are 
pared extremely thin, at and near their lower 
extremities, so that they may be brought into 
close contact with the stock (from which but 
little bark or wood should be pared off) by 
the ligature. I have adopted this mode chiefly 
in grafting cherry trees, and I have rarely 
ever seen a graft fail, even where the wood 
has been so succulent and immature as to pre- 
clude every hope of success by any other 
mode. — From a Letter by T. A. Knight, 
Esq. 
Reverse grafting Pear Trees. — The 
following is the substance of a letter from 
Mr. "W. Balfour, gardener at Howick, to the 
Horticultural Society, as published in their 
Transactions : — This mode of grafting is in- 
tended for trained trees. The stock is trained 
according to the usual form of horizontal 
training ; that is, with an upright stem, and 
simple horizontal branches right and left at 
regular distances, and trained parallel to each 
other. The reverse grafting consists in graft- 
ing on to these horizontal branches on the 
lower side, and in a reverse way, that is, with 
the shoots pointing at an angle of about 45 
degrees towards the principal stem. These 
grafts furnish the bearing wood. The scions 
for this method are inserted in the same 
manner as in rind grafting, and by cutting off 
the greater part of the spurs of the branch 
intended to be grafted, the scions take readily, 
and shoot freely. The branches which are 
grafted must be wide enough apart to allow 
room for the growth of the grafts ; and if they 
are too close together for this, every alternate 
or third one must be grafted and the others 
removed. The grafts may be of the same 
kind as the stock, or different kinds ; they 
may be all of one kind or various. The usual 
defect observed in horizontally trained trees, 
viz. barrenness to some distance on either side 
of the main stem, while the extremities of the 
branches are fruitful, was the principal cause 
which led to the idea of reverse grafting. It 
promises to remedy this, and it also affords 
the advantage of growing a number of kinds 
of pear upon the same space of wall, for any 
desired kinds may be put upon the same tree. 
A full grown pear tree, bearing a moderate 
crop, in many kinds yields more fruit than 
sufficient to supply the dessert for a family, 
while the kind is in season ; hence the ad- 
vantage of growing more than one sort on a 
tree. The succession of pears is rendered 
more complete, where the same sort is worked 
on branches in different aspects. 
The use of Charcoal Dust. — The gar- 
den I superintend is a very wet, stiff soil, 
upon a strong clay, and without any declivity. 
For several years my crops of onions were 
nearly all destroyed by a grub, and by mouldi- 
ness coming on about their roots, at various 
stages of their growth ; sometimes when they 
were about the size of what we call scallions, 
at other times when they were beginning to 
form a bulb, and even when the bulb was 
formed. I also tried several experiments to 
prevent the disease taking place, but none 
had the desired effect, until I made use of 
charcoal dust, (which is the refuse that is left 
at the bottom of a charcoal pit after the char- 
coal for use is taken out,) spread upon the top 
of the ground, about half an inch thick, before 
the seed is sown, (the ground being previously 
well dug and manured,) and merely scuffled 
in with the point of a spade, so as to mix the 
top soil and charcoal dust together. This 
secured excellent crops of onions, with not 
the least appearance of any infection. My 
first experiment was upon a bed fifty feefi 
long, and five feet wide, prepared in the 
usual way ; one half the bed was dressed with 
charcoal dust, the other half without it ; the 
part on which the dust was laid had an excel- 
lent crop of onions, it remained quite clean 
and free from any disease, whilst the part to 
which the dust was not applied, was entirely 
destroyed by the grub and by mouldiness. 
The next year I determined to try the effects 
of the dust upon a larger scale; I therefore 
had the whole of the quarter prepared for 
onions, and divided it into eight beds of the 
same size as before ; four of the beds were 
treated with dust, the other four remained 
without it. The result was the same as before ; 
the beds where the dust was applied bore 
a good clean crop, whilst the others were 
