PROPAGATION OF THE FIG. 143 
grafted. Both in grafting and budding the fig the same operation 
must be had as in budding and grafting the walnut. A few remarks 
regarding budding may suffice. The best form of bud to be used in 
budding the fig is the ring bud. The first operation is to girdle the 
branch which is to be budded, making the girdle cover the site of an 
eye. Then take from the scion a girdle of exactly the same width 
and place this in position on the branch in place of the one removed. 
It is always best to place the new bud exactly over the spot where the 
old one was located, or, in other words, the ring bud taken from the 
stock is replaced by one as similar as possible from the scion. If the 
old branch is larger than the new one from which the bud is taken, 
enough bark should be left on the stock to allow the new bark to touch 
everywhere. The ring bud must fit exactly the place from which the 
bark was removed, especially at the upper margin and at the back. 
After the bud is inserted, tie firmly with cotton twine and wax well and 
donot cut back the top until the new bud has fully taken and grown sey- 
eral inches. Then cut back to one bud above the new bud. Destroy 
this upper bud by pinching, leaving only one leaf to draw the sap. 
After the new bud has grown several feet this old top may be entirely 
removed, either at once or during the following winter. In order to 
insure success the air should be well excluded by grafting wax from 
both buds and grafts. 
GRAFTING. 
If proper care is taken, the grafting of fig trees is not a difficult 
matter. Both scions and stock should be as dormant as possible, the 
best time for this being in January, though grafting may be done as 
late asin March. Only poor success will be had in grafting after the 
leaves begin to show and the sap flows readily. The following account 
of grafting the fig is mainly based on the experience of Mr. John Rock, 
who has brought the grafting of fig trees to great perfection. 
SCION, 
The best scion or wood is two years’ wood, because it possesses less 
pith than one-year-old wood. End grafts or scions with top bud are 
the best. The form of the scion must be wedge-shaped, not only from 
top to bottom, but from front to back, and only one of the surfaces 
eut must show any pith. The side of the scion is placed toward the 
center of the stock, while of course the other side of the scion, which 
shows no pith, is placed toward the back or outward side of the stock. 
In order to have the scion properly cut the pith on the one side must 
be situated very low down, near the bottom of the scion. If situated 
higher up, the other side is sure to show some pith, too, which will be 
greatly detrimental to the future tree. (See fig. 21.) 
Incipient fruit buds must be nipped off from the scions. The scions 
figured are of natural size and exact copies of those actually in use. 
