HOW MAY I DO IT, TOO; GRAFTING 



saved out of the burnings in the different tests 

 branches are cut away, and each branch, little 

 more than a twig in size, not more than half 

 as thick as the little finger, is cut up into 

 pieces about two inches long, each piece, tech- 

 nically called a cion, bearing two to three 

 buds. The tops and side branches of the tree 

 which is to serve as the host for all the many 

 grafts must be cut away, leaving the tree pre- 

 senting a peculiarly grotesque appearance. In 

 the end of each branch the pieces of the twigs 

 from the little trees under test are to be 

 placed. These host, or parent, trees are used 

 from year to year, sometimes a single tree 

 bearing five hundred distinct kinds of grafts at 

 the same time. 



The workman who is grafting is equipped 

 with a sharp pruning-knife, a saw to cut away 

 the upper branches, a pot of melted wax, a 

 brush and some pieces of white cloth. In the 

 end of the sawed-off branch of the parent tree 

 he cuts a slit with his knife. He has made one 

 end of the two tiny grafts he holds wedge- 

 shaped. One of the grafts he holds in his 

 mouth, while he forces the wedge of the other 

 down into the slit. Then the second graft is 



253 



