August 1 ‘1907 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
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It is a matter for congfatulatioén that 
pears have carried well this season, very 
few being returned as rotten!- This isin 
striling contrast to the experience of 
other years, when the bulk was returned 
as rotten und wasty: 1! points’ to more 
care being exere.sed by the shippiug com 
panies, who now generally allot a small 
chamber for the carriage of pears at a- 
lower terperature than for apples, The 
prices reolised this season will encourage 
growers to ship pears on a much larger 
scale than has hitherto b en the vase, 
All kinds of small fruits shonld now be 
planted. Strawberry plantations that 
have been more than three years planted 
should be renewed. 
Grafting. 
The time for grafting deciduous fruit- 
trees is approaching, Grafting was re- 
ferred to in the writings of Pliny and 
other ancient authors. It would appear, 
however, from their writings that the 
principles were very imperfectly under- 
stood, or they would not have entertained 
the belief that the vine could be grafted 
on the walnut or cherry, the peach on the 
willow, er that black roses would be the 
result of grafting piuk roses cn the black 
currant. Having no natural affinity, these 
plants can never form a vital union, how- 
ever accurately they may be mechanically 
joined. The mode of grafting practised 
by different persons are numerous, but 
they all depend upon one principle, which 
should be well understood by every one 
who possesses a garden. No matter how 
skilful the operation of grafting may be 
performed, the results will be unsuccess- 
ful unless the stock and scion are nearly 
related, such as varieties of the same 
species, species of the same genus, or 
genera of the same natural order, beyond 
which the power does not extend. Much 
as is practically known with regard to 
the species and varieties that will agree 
with each other when grafted, there is 
still much to be learned which can only 
be acquired by long experience and obser- 
vation. ‘The influence of the stock upon 
the scion is often very marked. This 
chiefly arises from the stock supplying 
the scion with a greater or less amount of 
nourishment than it would receive from 
its natural root, and consequently pro- 
ducing a more or less vigorous growth. 
Too great a disparity between the nature 
of the scion and the stock should be 
avoided if a steady growth be desirable. 
It should be remembered that wood does 
not unite with wood so as to form a vital 
union in any case: After trees have been 
grafted for many. years, it is found ou 
dissection that between the portions: of 
wood of the stock and scion, which were 
placed together at the time of grafting, 
no union has ever taken place; when all 
the wood subsequently formed is removed 
the parts previqusly: joined can be readily. 
separated, -exhibiting;two. clean surfaces, 
or, occasionally, with a little dead cellular 
substance interposed, It is, therefore, 
evilont that the pieces of wood already 
formed do not unite, however accurate 
they may be joined. 
Whip. or, tongue grafting is, on the 
whole, the best and easiest mode of graft 
ing, av:l the oue most extensively em- 
ployed for young trees in this country, 
It is represented at figure A, where 1 is 
A—Whip or Tongue Grafting. 
the stock and 2 is the scion. It will be 
readily understood that the bark of the 
stock, because older, is thicker than that 
of the scion, consequently if, as ought to 
be the case, equal surfaces of the wood 
are exposed, the cut surface of the scion 
would not completely cover that of the 
stock, nor would this ever be the case, 
except when the barks of both stock and 
scion are of equal thickness. In proceed- 
ing to operate, cut the top of the stock in 
a sloping direction, as shown in the figure, 
terminating, if possible, above a bud. 
Then take the scion and cut it sloping 
and thin towards the end ; next enter the 
knife and cut a thin tongue upwards. as 
shown in the figure, The scion is now 
prepared. Then proceeding to the stock, 
cut a slice upwards, so that the surface of 
the wood shall be as nearly as possible a 
counterpart «f the exposed wood of the 
scion. In the upper part of the cut make 
a notch to receive the tongue of the scion ; 
this notch should be kept open with the 
point of the knife while the scion is being 
inserted, The inner bark of the scion and 
stock should be placed in contact, the 
parts secured by tying with matting or 
other material and surrounded with clay, 
grafting wax, or other substances, to 
exclude ths air and rain, then the opera: 
tion is complete. 
Cleft grafting is represented in figure 
B, where 1 is the stock and 2 is the scion. 
This is sometimes called triangular notch 
grafting.’ Instead of splitting the stock a 
triangular notch is cut in the side, and 
in that the ssion is fitted, so that the 
inner barks correspond. The scion is 
kept in position by tying matting or other 
material round it and the stock, It is 
then surrounded with clay, grafting wax, 
or other substances to exclude the air 
and rain, aud the operation is complete. 
One way of root grafting is represented 
at figure C, where 1 is the scion and 2 is 
the root. There are other ways'of root 
geafting, the tongue or whip graft being 
largely practised. See figure D, 1, 2, and 
C—Root Grafting.. 
8, where 1 represents the root, 2 the 
scioa, and 3 the graft complete. ',The 
scion should be tied, clayed. etc,, as in 
those above referred to. F 
Crown or bark grafting is represented 
at figure E, where 1 is the stock and 2 ic 
the scion. This mode of grafting is easily 
performed by anyone. The head of the 
stock is cut horizontally, and a slit where 
the scion is to be inserted is made just 
through the inner bark. The lower end 
of the scion is cut sloping as in whip 
D—Root Grafting. 
grafting. A piece of wood, bone, or ivory, 
in shape somewhat resembling the thin 
end of the scion, is introduced at the top 
of the slit, between the alburnnm and 
the inner bark, and pushed down in order 
to raise the bark, so that the thinned end 
of the scion may be entered without 
being bruised. The edges.of the bark on 
each side are then brought close to the 
scion, and the whole is bound with, mat- 
ting and clayed. 1f so desired three or 
four more scions can be put into the head 
of,a stock if it is a large gne. On, the 
whole, crown grafting is not so good as 
