480 pliny's natural history. [Book XYII. 



the pith ought not to be laid bare ; still, however, it should be 

 pared with a small knife, so that the point may assume the form 

 of a fine wedge, not more than three fingers in length, a thing 

 that may be very easily effected by first steeping it in water 

 and then scraping it. The graft, however, must not be pointed 

 while the wind is blowing, and care must be taken that the 

 bark is not rubbed off from either graft or stock. The graft 

 must be thrust into the stock up to the point where the bark 

 begins ; care, too, must be taken not to wrench off the bark 

 during the process of insertion, nor must it be thrust back so 

 as to form any folds or wrinkles. It is for this reason that a 

 graft should not be used that is too full of sap, no, by Hercules ! 

 no more than one that is dry and parched; for by doing so, in 

 the former case, from the excess of moisture, the bark becomes 

 detached, and in the latter, from want of vitality, it yields 

 no secretions, and consequently will not incorporate with the 

 stock. 



It is a point most religiously 18 observed, to insert the graft 

 during the moon's increase, and to be careful to push it down 

 with both hands ; indeed, it is really the fact, that in this ope- 

 ration, the two hands, acting at the same moment, are of neces- 

 sity productive of a more modified and better regulated effort. 

 Grafts that have been inserted with a vigorous effort are later 

 in bearing, but last all the longer ; when inserted more ten- 

 derly, the contrary is the result. The incision in the stock 

 should not be too open or too large ; nor ought it to be too 

 small, for in such case it would either force out the graft or 

 else kill it by compression. But the most necessary precaution 

 of all is to see that the graft is fairly inserted, and that it 

 occupies exactly the middle of the fissure in the stock. 



Some 19 persons are in the habit of making the place for the 

 fissure in the stock with the knife, keeping the edges of the 

 incision together with bands of osier bound tightly round 

 the stock ; they then drive in the wedges, the bands keep- 

 in°- the stock from opening too wide. There are some trees 



18 In reprehending this absurd notion, Fee bestows a passing censure 

 on the superstitions of this nature, contained in the English Vox Stella- 

 rum, one of our almanacks ; and in the French "Almanach des Bergers," 

 " Shepherds' Almanack." 



19 This is borrowed by Palladius, in the operations of February, tit. 

 17, and October, tit. 12. 



