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wanting in the space we now occupy, when we reach that interesting 
point in this ‘wearing-out’ system ! 
It is historically certain that the practice of propagating plants ‘by ex¬ 
tension’ as it is called, by budding, grafting, striking layers, <fcc., has 
existed for at least two thousand years. At Rome not only grafting, but 
the more delicate process of budding, was well known and extensively 
practised in the time of Augustus. Virgil enumerates the different me¬ 
thods of propagating by extension, which he reduces to seven. Among 
these were grafting, budding, striking layers, planting off-shoots, and 
setting cuttings from the top branches of the tree. The description of 
Roman budding shows that the process was as well understood then as 
now : 
Nee modus ingerere atque oculos imp.mere simplex. 
Nam qua se medio trudunt de cor dee gemmae, 
Et ienues rumpunt tunicas, angustus in ipso, 
Fit nodo sinus : hue aliena ex arbore gevmeti 
Includunt, uudoque docem inolescere libro. 
His description also of grafting shows to what a dangerous extent this 
practice of propagating by extension have been carried even in the Au¬ 
gustan age. The wonder is that the wretched practices of that period 
did not entirely extinguish the species thus absurdly propagated : 
Ant rursutn enodrs trunei reseeantur, et alte 
Finditur in solidum cuueis via : deinde feraces 
Plantae immituntur. Ntc Ion<jurn tempus, et ingens 
Exiit ad coelum ramis felicibus arbos, 
Miraturque onvas frondcs, et non sua poma. 
The emphasis is our own ; but the writer speaks of the rapidity with whicli 
the mighty tree shoots to the skies with its happy branches, wondering 
at its new foliage and unaccustomed fruit, after the degrading process of 
extension is commenced. Even our English word graft, as applied to the 
shoot, or scion, to be inserted into the stock of the tree, is unquestion¬ 
ably derived from the latin word graphium , from the resemblance whicli 
the shoot, when cut for insertion, bore to that instrument. The latin 
word signifies a little style, or iron bodkin, one end of which was sharp¬ 
ened, and which was used to write on waxen tablets. 
All the numerous varieties of apples which are now cultivated in this 
country and Europe, some of which have been introduced even from 
