10 Sept., 1917.] Spriny Graftiiuj of the Vine. 559 



must be made elowly and carefully by giving the knife an oscillatory or 

 see-saw movement, so that it will cut its way evenly instead of splitting 

 irregularly as a blunt wedge would. 



The Scion. 



Scions must be carefully selected ; all that was state<l in connection 

 with the Yema graft (see Journal January, 1917) applies with equal 

 force in the case of cleft grafting. They must consist of thoroughly 

 ripened canes of the previous season's wood, neither too stout nor too 

 slender, and presenting little pith ; their diameter depends largely on the 

 size of the stocks. They must be free from all traces of disease, such 

 as Black Spot or the markings left by Oidium. 



The condition of scion wood as regards sprouting of the buds, is of 

 importance. We have seen that tlie stock must be "in sap" when 

 grafted : quite the contrary is necessary in connection with the scion, 

 which must be in as backward a state as possible. It must be removed 

 from the vine whilst this is still quite dormant, and before any sap 

 movement takes place.* The scions must be kept dormant until 

 grafting time. If the buds are too f3,r advanced they may develop into 

 shoots before knitting has taken place ; such premature shoots usually die 

 out, leaving the scion depleted for another start. The most usual, and 

 a very satisfactory means of keeping scions dormant, is by stratifying 

 them in almost dry sand in a cool place. Tied in bundles of twenty-five 

 or so and buried horizontally in pure sand, so dry that it will not 

 " ball " when sqeezed in the hand, in a cellar or other cool place, they 

 may be kept in a dormant state even until November. If cool storage 

 is available, there is no more suitable method of preservation. Strati- 

 fied in sand, or even in very slightly moist spruce sawdust, at a tempera- 

 ture of 35 to 40 deg. F., they can be kept in excellent condition for the 

 best part of a year. Before use, the scions should be placed for about 

 a day with their butts in clean water, so that they may absorb the 

 moisture they may have lost. 



The length of the scion depends on the length of its internodes. It 

 is rather a question of the number of eyes than one of actual length. 

 Though a single eye would seem sufficient, most practical growers find! 

 that a scion with two eyes gives the best results. A single eye scarcely 

 provides sufficient outlet for the whole growth of the stock ; with two 

 eyes, there is a second one to fall back on in the case of damage to the 

 first. More than two eyes is neither necessary nor desirable, though 

 perhaps permissible with short jointed wood. If very long jointed, good 

 grafters sometimes use single-eye scions; too long a one would expose to 

 the risk of the graft being shifted accidentally before complete union, 

 with necessarily fatal results. 



Trimming the Scion. 

 This may be done in a great many ways. The essential point is to 

 ensure a thoroughly well-fitting graft, so that the scion completely fills, 

 on one side at least, the cleft. The most usual way is as shown in Fig. 

 1, the scion being prepared by removing, just below its lower bud, and 

 on each side, a fragment of wood, in such a way that it is cut to a more 

 or less elongated wedge. Each cut should be made with one movement 



* French authorities have rocentiy rocoram^nded scion reni:»vil in eith'r vjry eirly or VlXY ia te 

 wint<T; times .it wliich the canes are richest in reserve subitnce^. If cut Viry eirly spjcinl care is 

 necessary In preservation ; lat« winterremovaloxposos torislcof b;in? ciught by the barstiagof thi bu d» 



