2o6 Grafting large Trees. 



For branches from half an inch to an inch in diameter, the following 

 method, which is a modification of saddle grafting, is most eligible. 

 It was first described in iSii, by Mr. Knight, in the London Horticul- 

 tural Society's Transactions, vol. i., p. 240, but is now quite well 

 known, yet not as much practised as it desei"ves to be. The stock is 

 first cut smoothly and cleanly at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and 

 the bark slit from the highest point about two inches down. To pre- 

 pare the scion, after cutting it of proper length, hold it in the left hand 

 by the upper end, and with a sharp, thin blade slit it open, beginr ing at 

 the butt end, for about two inches — not in the middle, but so that the 

 lower portion shall be twice as thick as the upper. Then turn the 

 scion so as to have the butt end towards you, and pare away the larger 

 part so that it shall taper to the end. This portion is now to be inserted 

 in the slit before mentioned, between the bark and wood of the stock, 

 bringing the thinner part down over the sloping cut of the stock. It 

 will unite with the stock at the lower part of the cut, thus causing the 

 wound to be speedily covered, which is the great advantage of this 

 method. A tolerably stout scion is better than a small one in this 

 method. 



Still smaller limbs may be budded in summer ; but it is more con- 

 venient to do all the work at the same time, and therefore whip or 

 splice grafting will be found convenient. In this the scion and stock, 

 which should be of the same size (say a quarter of an inch or more in 

 thickness), are both cut with a scarf an inch or more in length. The 

 two surfaces are then, in the simplest method, applied directly to each 

 other, and bound around with bass matting or grafting paper, and the 

 operation is finished. It is, however, somewhat difficult to tie them 

 properly, as they are apt to slip one on the other ; and therefore a 

 tongue is made by commencing at about one fourth the distance from 

 the point, and making a cut downward on the stock and upward on the 

 scion about half as long as the scarf. The tongue on the graft is then 

 inserted in the cut on the stock, and the tongue on the stock in the cut 

 on the graft, and they are bound tightly, as before described. By this 

 contrivance of tonguing, which is at once the most simple and beautiful 

 in the whole art of grafting, not only is the scion prevented from slip- 



