THE PLUM IN KANSAS. 51 



in the cellar or cave, same as apple-root grafts, keeping the tempera- 

 ture as near freezing as possible, to j)revent injury from the graft-box 

 fungus. Even if frozen in the boxes no harm is done. The waxed 

 thread is made of No. 18 knitting cotton run through melted wax onto 

 an open drum, or hollow cylinder of wood, with a crank handle at- 

 tached. The wax is softened with a little linseed oil. 



Recipe for alcoholic plastic : One pound white resin, one ounce 

 beef tallow, one tablespoonful turpentine, five or six ounces alcohol. 

 Melt resin slowly, take from fire and add tallow, stirring constantly. 

 When still cooler add turpentine slowly, then alcohol. Wood or 

 methyl alcohol is cheaper than common alcohol, and, as tried at the 

 college, seems to answer the i^urpose equally well. It is poisonous, 

 and should be so labeled. If the plastic becomes too stiff to work 

 well, put vessel in a vessel of hot water and add more alcohol. The 

 plastic should be of the consistency of thin syrup in order to work 

 well. 



The scions are kept in boxes of dry forest leaves in the cellar ; the 

 leaves contain suSicient moisture to keep the scions in good condition. 

 The scions must be watched and not allowed to get either too plump 

 or too shriveled, but better a little shriveled than too plump. 



With all stone fruits side-grafting is much preferable to whip- 

 grafting. By comparing the two methods it will be seen that the 

 side-graft has two surfaces on the scion to unite by, while the whip- 

 graft has but one. In the nursery the side-graft can be used in the 

 spring in crown-grafting seedlings, where the bud failed the preced- 

 ing autumn. Side-grafting is also the best for all top-grafthig of 

 l^lum and cherry. For outdoor work, the vessel containing the alcohol 

 plastic is set in the top of a large lantern-shaped tin box with a lamp 

 inside. The terms "top-grafting'' and "top-working" are the same, 

 the latter being more generally used in nursery work. It is most 

 convenient for two men to work together — one to greift and the other 

 to apply the plastic. 



Plums and cherries should be grafted before there is the least sign 

 of starting of the buds; hence, pleasant days in March should be im- 

 proved in this manner. However, they may be grafted after the buds 

 have started, j^rovided that the scions have started equally as much. 

 But in general it is best to graft the stone fruits early, before the buds 

 have started. No waxed thread is used in top-grafting. After insert- 

 ing the scion, apply the alcoholic plastic to the point of union and 

 wrap with a strip of old, thin, white muslin. The muslin will adhere 

 to the slightly warm plastic and no thread is needed for tying. The 

 exposed tip of the scion must be touched with the plastic to prevent 

 drying out. The "robbers" or sprouts ajjpearing on the stem below 



