Grafting

"The best method," says Dr. Lindley, "of grafting vines is to shorten the branch, or shoot, at the winter pruning to the most eligible place for inserting the graft. The graft should be kept in sufficiently moist soil till the time of performing the operation, and for a week previous in the same temperature as that which the vines to be operated upon are growing.

"When such portions of the latter as are shortened for receiving the grafts have made a bit of shoot, graft as you would other fruit trees, taking care to preserve the shoot at the top in claying, and until the buds on the scion have pushed, then shorten it back. Inarching may be performed any time after the vines have started, so far as to bleed." - Gard. Chron.

Mr. Knight, the late eminent president of the Horticultural Society, has left this record of his experiments on the same mode of propagation: - "I conceived it probable that the success of the Roman cultivators in grafting their vines might arise from the selection of grafts similar to their cuttings, and the result of the following experiment leads me to believe my conjecture to be well founded. I selected three cuttings of the Black Hamburgh Grape, each having at its base one joint of two years old of wood: these were inserted in, or rather fitted to branches of nearly the same size, but of greater age; and all succeeded most perfectly. The clay which surrounded the base of the grafts was kept constantly moist, and the moisture thus supplied to the graft operated very beneficially, at least, if it was not essential to the success of the operation. A very skilful gardener in my vicinity, to whom I mentioned my intention of trying the foregoing experiment, was completely successful by a somewhat different method.

He used grafts similar to mine, but his vine grew under the roof of the hot-house, in which situation he found it difficult to attach such a quantity of clay as would supply the requisite degree of moisture to the graft; and he therefore supported a pot under each graft, upon which he raised the mould in heaps sufficiently high to cover the grafts and supply them with moisture. The grafts which I used consisted of about two inches old wood, and five of annual wood, by which means the junction of the new and old wood, at which point cuttings most readily emit shoots and receive nutriment, was placed close to the head of the stock, and a single bud only was exposed to vegetate." - Knight's Papers.

As the practice is rather precarious, I will add further, the observations of Mr. Braddick: - "I feel confident in stating that healthy vines may be successfully grafted with young wood of the preceding year's growth, from the time that the shoots of the stocks which the grafts are to be put upon have made four or five eyes, until mid-summer, with every prospect of the grafts growing, and without the least danger of the stocks suffering by bleeding. They may likewise be grafted with shoots of the same summer's growth, worked in the rind of the young wood, from the time that the young bunches of grapes become visible on the stocks till July, out of doors, or till a month later under glass. The operation must not be performed later than the periods here specified, because time is necessary for the young shoots of the graft to become hard and ripen before winter." - Hort. Soc. Trans.

Single Eyes, Or Buds

Mr. Appleby gives the following directions for this mode of propagation: - "Take a single bud with about half an inch of wood on each side of it, and insert it in a pot four inches in diameter, filled with light rich soil, covering the bud half an inch, and pressing the earth firmly about it, place the pots in a bark bed, or dung bed covered with saw dust; either of these will do, provided the heat is moderate. It will soon shoot up above the soil and begin to send out roots; water very sparingly, for a time increasing the quantity as it requires it. Air is given on all mild days to make it become stout and of a good colour. As soon as the roots reach the sides of the pots, shift into large pots, which operation may be done thrice during the growing season; it will require a stick to support it, and all the superfluous leaves and tendrils removed; ripen the wood by keeping as dry an atmosphere in the pit or frame as possible during the latter part of the season, endeavouring to effect this without any reduction of temperature, which should average about 70° Fahrenheit. When the wood is sufficiently ripened, keep the plant in a cool house or frame, just protected from frost until the planting season." - Gard. Chron.