176 CLEFT-GRAFTING. 



they will flower again and again during the 

 summer : if Summer Eoses they will flower but 

 once, but they will make strong shoots and 

 establish themselves for another season ; if a 

 forcing-house is used instead of a hotbed frame, 

 they must be plunged in the same materials, as 

 this keeps the clay moist, and generally ensures 

 success. If convenient, grafting-wax, made as 

 follows, may be used in lieu of clay : 1 lb. Bur- 

 gundy pitch, ^ lb. common pitch, 2 oz. bees'-wax, 

 and ^ oz. mutton fat, melted, and put on with a 

 brush while warm. 



In cleft-grafting, the first operation is to cut off 

 your stock to the height required, with a clean 

 horizontal cut, taking care to make this just above 

 a bud : opposite to this bud, cleave your stock, 

 making the cleft about an inch long : and avoid, 

 if possible, cleaving through the stock. Your 

 graft, or scion, for both terms are employed, may 

 be from three to four inches long ; having from 

 three to four buds on it ; cut one inch of the 

 lower end of your graft to the exact form of a 

 wedge, then pare off one side of the wedge very 

 thin, leaving a bud, if possible, on the thick side; 

 open the cleft with the point of your knife, or the 

 flattened haft of a budding knife, and insert the 

 thin side of your one-sided wedge, till the barks 

 of both stock and graft are perfectly even ; bind 

 with a piece of cotton twist or worsted ; cover the 

 side of the stock in which is the cleft, and also 



