VIII PKOPAGATION 135 



then sliced up on one side only with a shaq^ knife to 

 form the stock half of the splice. 



For the scion, if the sort be new and rare, only 

 one bud is used. The shoot is snipped into little 

 bits, by cutting across as close as possible above each 

 bud. This will leave, below each, an inch or more 

 of wood, which should then be sliced up to form 

 the other part of the splice. Stock and scion should be 

 as nearly as possible of the same diameter, but it will 

 not matter if the stock is somewhat the bigger of the 

 two. 



The essentials of grafting are ; — that on one side at 

 least the inner bark of stock and scion should exactly 

 meet, that flow of sap in the stock should take place 

 at once, and that air should be excluded till the scion 

 has made some growth. 



To meet the first of these necessary points is very 

 important. Of course the two parts to be brought 

 together will not fit exactly once in a hundred times, and 

 the only care therefore should be that the scion should 

 fit on one side of the stock and not be placed in the 

 middle. 



To prevent its slipping during the tying is rather a 

 difficult task till one has seen " how it's done." Two or 

 three turns of a thin bit of Raffia are first taken round 

 the lower part of the sloping cut on the stock leaving 

 the ends underneath. A third hand comes in very use- 

 fully here, and the operator generally utilises his mouth 

 for the puri^ose. The end of the scion is thus held 

 ready for putting into position under the tie which is 

 then tightened and finished by the hands. 



It is not necessary to make the circles of the tie 

 touch each other, nor are wax or clay used for keeping 

 out the air. The pot is immediately placed in bottom 



