The National tribune., 1882-04-01

GRATING: IT'S PURPosEs-Grafting is
employed IS a method of propagsting or in
creasing plants which will not reproduce
themselves in all their characteristics from
seed and which are difficult to propagate by
cuttings. For instance, if it is desired to
multiply the Newtown pippin apple or the
Seckel pear, we will be unable to do so by
sowing the seeds of these respective fruits;
neither can they be proftably increased by
the same process with which we propagate a
willow-by cuttings of the young branches
therefore grating is resorted to as ready
means of multiplying the particular varieties
required.
Grating is also employed as means of
adding vigor to weak or slender growing
plants. This is accomplished by choosing a
stock of well-known vigorous growth. Fer
instance, weak growing roses, such as La
Pactele, when grated upon strong growing
briars or other equally vigorous kinds, pro-
duce better growths and finer flowers than
they do when raised from cuttings. This
practice of grating with the special purpose
of imparting greater vigor is not gystemat-
ically applied to fruiting plants, although
some cultvators of the grapevine have
found great advantages to be derived by
grating certain comparatively weak grow
ing varieties, such as the Delaware upon
more robust kinds, such as the Clinton.
The grating of grapes is now being ex-
tensively practiced in Europe, the stocks
used being mostly our American species and
varieties. This is done because some kinds
Of our native species resist the attacks Of
the phylloxera or root louise, so destructive
to the vines of Europe.
Again, grating is employed for an oppo-
site purpose to the last mentioned-that is
for the repression Of vigorous growth, and
through that to hasten and increase the pro-
duction of fruit. This is in some cases
known as the dwarfng process, and results
in securing technically called dwarf trees
Instances may be noted, such as the dwarf
pear, which is produced by grating pear
shoots on ounce stocks, and the dwarf
cherry, which is produced by grating our
large fuited cherries upon a weaker grow
ing European species known as the Mahalab
cherry. This process is in accordance with
well-established law in vegetable physi-
Ology, that repression of growth is favorable
to early maturity
Grating is also usefully employed in test
ing seeding fruits, in so far that by grating
shoot Of young Seeding apple upon an
old bearing apple tree the process will cause
an earlier fruiting condition Of the shoot
thus grated as compared with the fruitins
condition of the Seeding. 1t is a common
observation that Seeding orange and lemon
trees will not bear fruit until they are
grated. This is not, however, strictly true;
the grating of these with scions from bear
ing plants will have tendency to hasten
the fruiting period and insure good variety
Of fruit provided the scion has been OBJ
tanned from good kind, but it does not
follow that Seeding oranges or lemons will
not fruit if time is allowed for them to do
go. Some Of the finest oranges in the groves
Of Florida are from seedlings which have
never been grated Allowing seedlings to
fruit is the only way to get improved
varieties.
Grating is only successful when the stock
and scion are nearly related. II can only be
practically useful with varieties of the same
species, species Of the same genus Or genera
Of the same natural order In the latter
class there are many exceptions, and in all
the results are very varied.
The operation known as budding is subject
to the same laws as that of grating.
marching is also another method of reach
ing the same results.
FAILURES IN MAKING LAwys.-Numer-