PROPAGATION 79 



followed. Therefore choose a graft as nearly as pos- 

 sible of the same size as the stock. Having cut the 

 graft to a suitable length, say nine or ten inches, cut 

 the lower end (that is, the thicker one) exactly as the 

 top of the stock was cut, so that when placed together 

 they will properly fit upon each other. The essential 

 point is, of course, to make sure that the inner bark of 

 the one coincides with the inner bark of the other, as 

 then the cambium layers will also coincide. The graft 

 should be carefully and securely tied on to the stock 

 with raffia, and then covered over with either clay or 

 grafting wax, so as effectually to prevent the entrance 

 of air. It is advisable to place moss over the clay, so 

 that in dry weather this can be watered to prevent the 

 clay from becoming dry. Unless there were a covering 

 of some material capable of holding moisture, it would 

 be impossible to keep the clay in anything like a moist 

 condition. When it is seen that the graft commences 

 to grow freely, the clay may be partly removed so as 

 to allow of the ligatures being loosened. It is wise to 

 tie the graft to a stake attached to the stock when the 

 clay is finally removed, as in rough weather it might 

 possibly be broken off. 



The stocks used for budding and grafting the apple 

 upon are the Crab, English and French Paradise, and 

 Doucin Stocks. 



The Crab Stock is for standards intended for orchard 

 planting only. 



The English and French Paradise and Doucin Stocks 

 are made use of for pyramids, bushes, espaliers, 

 cordons, etc. 



The English Paradise is also to be recommended for 

 standards and half standards for garden planting, for it 

 is free growing, and trees grafted upon it come into 

 bearing earlier than those on the Crab. 



The surface-rooting stocks, the Paradise and Doucin, 



