88 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 8. 
condition of the stock and scion. T mention these 
months, and would even add the first part of April for 
late plants, because you will not have to wait so long 
| for a junction, as if grafting at an earlier period; though, 
with this exception, any time would do after the young 
shoots were thoroughly ripened the last autumn. 
Conveniences .—A close, moist atmosphere is of import¬ 
ance for securing success. In a greenhouse, that may he 
secured by placing small plants under a handlight, and 
keeping them shaded and close as necessary. In your case, 
possessing a vinery at work, it would be more easily 
done, and the heat necessary for the Vines would just 
suit the grafted plants, if not above 60° with fire heat. 
Eor Camellia grafting, and for Oranges, and many 
other things, nothiug beats a sweet gentle hotbed in 
which to set the plants when grafted, plunging them in 
a bottom-heat of 65° to 70°, and allowing them from 
55° to 65° top-heat. If the stocks stood there a week 
before grafting, and the scions were kept rather cool for a 
similar period, all the better. In such a case, the glasses 
must fit tight, and, independent of gentle syringings, the 
temperature during the day must be kept clown by 
shading from bright sun rather than by the admitting of 
air. Various contrivances may be resorted to when 
there is no hotbed; for instance, the handlight, as 
previously mentioned. On the floor of a vinery a hand- 
light might also be so used, with or without sweet fer¬ 
menting material beneath it. You do not state how 
large your plant is, probably too large for either frame 
or handlight. But after being well watered, there can be 
no objection to lay the plant down, either in a hotbed, 
or in a pit, or even, on the floor of the house, and 
gently surrounding the grafts with warm leaves, or 
shading it in a warmish house with bleached calico. I 
have frequently seen large plants grafted all over suc¬ 
cessfully by thus laying the plant down on a bed inside 
of a house. These means, though not essential, are 
great accessories to success, as tending to husband the 
resources and stimulate the growth of the scion, and 
the consequent junction of scion and stock. Having 
satisfied yourself as to the fit state of the scion, as 
described above, and secured the best convenience in 
your power, the next thing is the 
Operation of Grafting .—I have done this in various 
ways, and with littie difference as to the result. Some¬ 
times, I have merely shortened back the head of a young 
stock, or cut back the respective branches of a larger 
plant, leaving some buds on the stock or branches higher 
up than the place I had fixed on for grafting, to draw 
the sap up, and in very particular cases, I would prefer 
this mode. In other cases, the stock was cut down, or 
the brauches were shortened in at once. I would prefer 
the first method, where I had not the help of a hotbed ; 
and as soon as the scion had taken, these buds on the 
stock coidd be rubbed away, and the piece of wood ulti¬ 
mately cut back. With the assistance of a handlight, or 
| a hotbed, I should prefer cutting the stock as far back as 
necessary at once, and graft as 1 woidd do an Apple or a 
Pear. 
Whip or side-tongue grafting is generally adopted. 
If you have plenty of shoots of last summer’s growth 
for scions, they may as well be cut into pieces containing 
! three or four buds. A piece with one bud will do if 
more is not to be got. With a piece of three or four buds, 
you may have one at the base of the scion. The great 
thing in grafting is to unite the liber, or inner bark of 
the scion, with the liber of the stock. If the stock or 
branch is small, you may do this on both sides. Whether 
small or large, these two libers must join on one side. 
The stock, as we have supposed above, being cut back 
as far as necessary, a razor knife is used to remove 
a small slice on one side, clearing away the bark, and 
a little of the wood, and sloping upwards, of a width as 
near as possible to the diameter of the scion. A similar 
sloping cut is made downwards at the base of the scion, 
and opposite a bud, if the base is so furnished. These 
cuts may be of any length, according to the length of 
your scion, from an inch to two or more inches. Much 
depends on the cleanness of the cut and the sharpness 
of the knife. When you see that the scion and stock 
will fit nicely, you may tongue them together, by making 
a slit downwards about the middle of the sloping cut 
of the stock, and another slit upwards in the scion, so 
that they may fit into each other. This tonguing is by 
no moans necessary, and where the stock is larger than 
the scion not very easily performed. Its chief use is 
just to hold the scion and stock together. It may well 
be dispensed with, provided you are sure that in tying 
the scion and the stock together you join together 
the inner bark of both, at least on one side, and 
after you have removed the small sloping slice from 
each, there is no difficulty in holding the scion in its 
place by one band and tying it by the other. A piece 
of good matting is as good as any thing for the purpose; 
woollen thread also does very well. When properly 
secured, the next thing is to keep air from the parts, 
and for this nothing is better than a lump of well- 
wrought clay ; rub the stump over with it after tying, 
and then place a smaller piece neatly all over it. If not 
quite certain of a moist atmosphere, the clay might be 
tied round with moss, and kept moist. 
I have already alluded to the best position for such a 
plant, or plants. When the scion grows freely, air must be 
admitted by degrees, and the clay and string be removed. 
If the space is not well filled up, it will be advisable to 
tie loosely again, and cover with moss to keep out the 
air and light. A little extra care will be required for 
such plants during the first twelve months. 
INARCHING. 
“Which is best—to inarch or graft Camellias and 
Oranges ? ” I prefer grafting, as above. Some prefer 
inarching. It is just grafting by approach; the two 
plants are brought together—the stock is partially or 
wholly reduced, and the respective slices of bark and 
wood being removed, the scion and stock are tied to¬ 
gether, the scion deriving its nourishment from its own 
plant until it has fairly taken hold of the stock, when 
the connection is severed, doing it generally by bit and 
bit at a time, so as not to make a great check at once. It 
will be perceived that the plants must stand together until 
the union is effected, and sometimes it is a long while 
before that is accomplished. There is a sort of inter¬ 
mediate step, which is frequently adopted, when, as in 
the case of our correspondent, it is feared the buds on 
the scion may be too forward, and which may be re¬ 
sorted to at any time, when there is no convenience of a 
hotbed or handlight for placing the grafted plants in, 
namely, cutting the scion much longer than it requires 
to be, fastening the top in the usual manner, and then 
placing the lower end in a phial of water kept regularly 
supplied. 
RECIPROCAL INFLUENCE OF STOCKS AND SCIONS 
ON EACH OTHER. 
I confess that here I am next to bewildered. Much 
here still requires elucidation. Would that some of our 
great men would give us the result of their experience. 
Many feats, isolated in themselves, if attempted to be 
reasoned upon, would stamp many an unlucky wight 
with heterodoxy. Just recollect all about the circula¬ 
tion of the sap theory, as propounded a few years ago, 
and the orthodox from Professor’s chairs now. The 
scion has no influence on the stock, says one. How, 
says another, do we get the long naked roots of our 
best cherries, and the matted wig like roots of the 
Morello? How will grafting with a variegated scion 
