232 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



on all round the place of union. There are conditions that 

 must be attended to by the operator in grafting : — 



First, — The wood of both stock and graft must be so cut 

 as to fit each other closely. 



Secondly, — The bark of the graft must actually touch or 

 join the bark of the stock on one side of the join, if not on 

 both. 



Thirdly, — The operation must be done so quickly, that the 

 sap shall not have time to dry up before it is tied and 

 covered. 



Fourthly, — The graft and the stock must be of similar 

 families or orders, as plants strange in their natures will not 

 join. Generally, the wild and natural kinds of anything 

 make the best stocks ; as the wild plum for all the cultivated 

 plums, the crab for apples, the wild cherry for the improved 

 ones ; but there are many stocks that have been found appro- 

 priate, though to all appearance different in their natures. 



Fifthly, — The state of the stock and graft should be that 

 of active progress ; the buds should be swelling preparatory 

 to the new growth, but not too far advanced towards bursting. 



Lastly, — The air must be kept from the join, or the bark 

 would shiivel ; and if barks were not absolutely close to each 

 other, no union would take place. 



We have already said that if the stock and graft are of the 

 same size, which is not generally the case, a sloping cut would 

 be enough, the same as a broken stick would be spliced ; but 

 nine times out of ten the stock is much thicker than the graft, 

 and then some other method must be adopted ; one mode is 

 to cut the graft to an angle, forming almost a triangle, except 

 that the bark of the graft must form, as it were, one of the 

 three sides ; then cut an angle iato the stock to fit the graft, 

 and bind it, so that the bark of the graft exactly touches the 

 bark of the stock, and in fact fills up the angle. Another 

 way is, to cut a flat side, sloping a little, perhaps, near the top 

 of the stock, and then cut a flat side to the graft, by shaving 

 half away for three or four inches up. Xow, as the flat part 

 of the stock wiU be three or four times as wide as the graft, 

 the graft must be firmly tied to one side of the flat in the 

 stock, so that the bark of the graft shall touch and join the 

 bark of the stock ; for, though it may appear strange, the graft 

 will grow and fill up all the flat part in time, and be as firm 

 as if it had been originally as large as the stock itself ; but if 



