GRAFTING SEVERAL VARIETIES ON ONE STOCK. 
4G3 
they are kept back from blooming until June, 
when they can be safely planted out ; but this 
is rather difficult. The only way of doing this 
properly, is to take away the bloom as soon as 
you can get hold of it, and keep the plant 
growing until the end of May ; the depriving 
the plant of its flowers before any of its 
strength is exhausted, induces a large number 
of side shoots, which, though they make 
trusses much less in size, make up for it in 
numbers. The raisers of seedlings need not 
be at any loss in these matters, because, by 
sowing in July, instead of May, and throwing 
the plant late before potting, then keeping it 
in a cold frame, the blooms will not be deve- 
loped before the end of May or the beginning 
of June ; then, as soon as good ones are dis- 
covered, they must be taken away to seed 
from, and all the inferior varieties that will be 
thrown away, may be put to waste their 
blooms on the clumps and borders. Cinera- 
rias put all over the conservatory where there 
is room on the borders, or on the tables and 
shelves, principally occupied by larger plants, 
give life to some of the places, which, by 
reason of large-sized pots, are left bare; and if 
all the bare parts of the borders, and beds of 
a" conservatory were covered with them, it 
would look much better than the common 
earth. A few pots on the shelves of a green 
house, or on the windows of a dwelling- 
house, make a pretty diversity among spring 
flowers; and there is hardly any subject 
which gives a more gay and finished appear- 
ance to a group of flowers than a few well- 
chosen Cinerarias. Among the seedlings of 
the present day, many have completely lost 
the notch in the petal ; some have greatly 
increased in the width of the petal, and others, 
though none of very splendid colours, have, 
by the' quantity and closeness of their petals, 
made a very decided advance in the proper- 
ties. The fact of saving the seed from any- 
thing that happens to bear it, instead of 
being very choice in the saving of it, has 
prevented the advance from being so great or 
so rapid as it might be. Among many named 
flowers sent out by the nurseries, there are 
very few that have anything but their extra- 
ordinary size or colour to recommend them. 
Those who begin, and want to save their own 
seed, should commence by selecting about 
half-a-dozen of different colours, the nearest 
they can find in shape to the one which pre- 
cedes this article. 
THE GRAFTING OR BUDDING SEVERAL 
VARIETIES ON ONE STOCK. 
There is a charm in a diversity of colours, 
and the greater the contrast that can be 
secured the greater the brilliance and effect. 
We see this in a well-displayed collection ; 
but it is infinitely more conspicuous when we 
have it on- the same tree. Suppose, for in- 
stance, a Geranium had half-a-dozen different 
varieties, as widely contrasted as possible, on 
one stock ; or seven or eight Camellias, of the 
most striking kinds, were on one stem ; or a 
dozen kinds of Roses on one stock, scarcely 
anybody would be able to form a notion of its 
beauty ; but some attention is required in all 
these operations, to secure a proper effect. 
In the first place, all the subjects grafted, or 
budded on one stock, should be of the same 
habit of growth, and bloom at the same season; 
because, were any one stronger than the rest, it 
would take the lead in the growth, and not 
only deprive the remainder of proper nourish- 
ment, but it would spoil the uniformity of the 
head altogether. The effect of this on the 
Rose may be seen in the growth of a stock 
when it is not attended to, and the entire 
stoppage and decay of the head, unless the 
growing portion of the stock be removed. It 
is true that the stock itself is of more vigorous 
growth than almost any Rose that can be put on 
it; but, nevertheless, a vigorous growing Rose 
would quite as effectually destroy, or check, 
sufficiently to spoil, all those weaker than itself. 
In like manner, the Camellia reticulata, or 
Louis Philip, or any other of the vigorous 
growers, would take greatly from Myrtifolia, 
Sasanqua rosea, or any other weaker kind. The 
object must be to have equal growers and 
equal bloomers ; for, unless all the varieties 
bloom at once, the effect is destroyed. We 
have seen at Sir John Boughton's, some years 
ago, it is true, a great number of Roses on one 
stock, and the tree they had formed was im^ 
mense. We have s^en a Camellia with seven 
kinds upon it, but only four were in bloom at 
once. The Azalea Indica has, to our know- 
ledge, had Smith's Coccinea, Gladstonitia, 
Variegata, and one or two more kinds, and 
bloomed well ; and as to Geraniums, we have 
had four or five very different colours and kinds 
on the same plant, and it looked very pretty and 
striking. There is nothing more simple than 
this operation of budding and grafting ; for 
the same means that will do one sort, has only 
to be repeated for each. The best mode of 
doing it with the Camellia, is to select for a 
stock a plant of something near the form you 
want it to assume afterwards. Cut back all 
the branches to two inches, and in these per- 
form the saddle, or wedge graft, that is, the 
stock, or the scion, is to be cut like a wedge, 
and the opposite one is to have a cut to re- 
ceive the wedge ; some, however, prefer cut- 
ting both upon a slope, the same as if they 
were splicing a stick. The scion should not 
have more, than one bud, or two at the most, 
upon it, as all the strength should go into the 
