118 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ February 8, 1883. 
greenish petals, gives a very distinct appearance to the flower ; 
and as it appears to share the free-flowering qualities of C. in- 
signe it will doubtlessly become as popular as that species. 
Notes on the other members of this group must be deferred. 
The woodcut represents five good Cypripediums, three of which 
have been already noticed. The other two are C. punctatum 
violaceum ( c ), which has violet-dotted attractive flowers, and 
C. guttatum (d), a pretty terrestrial species from Canada and 
Siberia, with white flowers marbled with rich purple.—L. Castle. 
(To bo continued.) 
GRAFTING. 
Judging from inquiries we have received during the past few 
weeks it is evident that the subject of grafting fruit trees is one 
on which information is needed, and it is certain that there are 
Fig. 27. 
Fig. 28. 
Fig. 29. 
Fig. 30. 
many persons, young gardeners and older amateurs, who are not so 
well acquainted as they should be with the old and most valuable 
practice of the art of gardening. 
“Everyone should learn to graft” wrote Mr. Kingsley in this 
Journal upwards of twelve years ago, and he related an incident 
of when a boy of cutting scions from all the Pear trees in the 
garden, and attaching them to a young Jargonelle with withered 
Crocus leaves, at the same time cutting out all the buds that 
naturally belonged to the tree. Years afterwards this was re¬ 
garded as a wonderful tree by the owner, as every branch bore 
a different variety. This incident is alluded to as showing how 
easily learned is the process ; and Mr. Kingsley further observes, 
for the benefit of the inexperienced, that all grafting is performed 
by fitting one or more buds of one variety (the scion) to another 
(the stock), which is growing from an established root, and this 
fitting must be managed so that the living layers (the alburnum) 
of the wood of both are brought into close juxtaposition, so that 
the cambium, or fresh deposit of living cells and fibre, may unite, 
the former being suitable for young trees or small branches, the 
latter for larger trees that have been “ headed down.” 
The best time for grafting is usually the first half of April, but 
in early seasons and localities an earlier date is better. The stock 
should be on the point of bursting its leaf buds, but the scion 
must have them much less advanced for ordinary out-of-door 
work. To secure this difference of development the scions are 
cut off a month at least before the time of using them, and may 
be cut off as soon as the leaves have fallen. They require to be 
kept from drought and frost, and the common way of storing 
them is tie each sort in a bundle, and put it two-thirds of its 
length in the ground in the open air, under a north wall or other 
shade from the sun. Perhaps a better plan for keeping is to put 
them overhead in cocoa-fibre refuse in flower pots, storing the 
pots in a cool cellar or outhouse, and taking care that the fibre 
is neither dry nor wet, but only thoroughly damp ; scions so 
stored will keep perfectly sound for a very long time, frequently 
striking root, and always forming a callosity at the base. Sand 
used in the same way answers very well, but it is apt to damage 
the knife if any is left when the scion is being shaped ; the cocoa 
fibre shakes off, leaving the wood quite clean. 
The scions are cut from thoroughly ripened shoots of the pre¬ 
ceding summer; where it can be done, a piece of the previous 
year’s wood should be cut off along with the new, for if the scion 
is fitted so that the junction of the two years’ growth is applied 
to the stock, a much larger portion of the living tissue is brought 
into contact. Some kinds of trees require the second year’s wood 
to be taken for the scion ; and although the fruits we are dealing 
with do not, I would rather have a scion of the second year’s wood 
than a badly ripened shoot of the previous summer. The buds on 
the scion must be leaf buds, and the plumper they are the better. 
Avoid all those succulent shoots commonly seen on the stems of 
old orchard trees. 
We now come to the tools required ; they are very simple—a very 
sharp knife, some matting or yarn for tying, grafting wax or clay 
to cover up the joint. 
As the knife must be in first-rate condition for the most delicate 
part of the operation, it should never be used for rough work, so 
use another for cutting off the heads of the stocks and any other 
preliminary trimming. 
Various modes of grafting are adopted for particular purposes. 
For our present purpose two only are needed—whip or toDgue 
grafting, and crown grafting. 
All the books in which I have found a description of grafting 
seem to me to be very defective in more than one particular, and 
I shall endeavour to make the matter perfectly clear at the risk 
of being tedious. A glance at the figures will explain to any ex¬ 
perienced gardener all that is new. 
Cut down in the autumn all the stocks that are to be grafted in 
the spring, and any branches of larger trees that are to be grafted 
afresh, leaving in every case about three eyes beyond the part 
where the scion is to be placed, at the same time trim off any 
laterals that require removing. This cutting-back in autumn 
prevents the check that would otherwise be given to the stock 
were it cut back after they had begun to move. Then, as soon as 
the buds which have been left are on the point of opening, choose 
a day that is calm and warm ; if therehas been rain shortly before 
all the better. Cut off the top of a young stock down to a dis¬ 
tance of 3 inches from the ground or thereabouts, less rather than 
more. The cut should be made by putting the edge of the sharp 
knife just opposite to a bud and bringing it out an eighth of an 
inch or so above the bud, making the cut quite clean and even, 
with a very gentle slant, 1 (fig. 27). Next put the knife to a 
point about an inch below the place where it was first applied, 
and cut a thin slip upwards, 2 (fig. 2S). This slip should remove 
the bark and a small portion of the wood, but it ought as far as 
possible to be a section of that layer of living tissue which throws 
off a ring of wood on one side and a ring of bark on the other : 
the size of the scion, however, must be the principal guide as to 
the thickness of the slice cut off, and it is here 
that correctness of eye is of so great importance. 
Next reverse the direction of the edge of the 
knife and run it downwards, beginning at the 
bottom of the last cut, and keeping the slip the 
same size, so as to form a flap about an inch long, 
3 (fig. 29) ; and then, again, if the scion be not very 
small, make a second downward cut, 4 (fig. 30) 
Fig. 31. 
Fig. 32. 
Fig. 33. 
Fig. 34. 
starting about half an inch from the top of the stock, and about 
three-quarters of an inch long. These four cuts are numbered in 
order in the figures, and the barbs show the direction in which 
they are made. With practice you will make them in about as 
many seconds. This is all the preparation needed by the stock. 
We now come to the scion. If it has been well kept the base 
will be perfectly sound, and most likely will have a large callosity 
formed from the wound. If it is one having a piece of the second 
