HOKTICULTURAL PROCESSES. 65 



will not be taken off, but only what may be filled by the ring 

 of bark from the scion. If the ring of bark from the scion be 

 too large for the stock, it will be reduced so as to just inclose 

 the stock. "V7hen thus fitted, tie with matting, and cover the 

 wound with clay or grafting-wax, and the work is done. 



6. Grafting. — In grafting, a shoot with two or more buds on 

 it, instead of a single bud, is transferred from one tree or shrub 

 to another. The oj^eration, in all its forms, consists essentially 

 in bringing in contact portions of growing shoots, so that the 

 liljer or inner bark of the two may unite and grow together. 

 The same general principles apply to it as to budding. 



The shoot to be transferred is called a scion. The best time 

 to cut scions is from the middle of January to the last of Feb- 

 ruary, although they may be taken from the trees at any time 

 from late autumn until spring. In order to keep them until 

 they may be used, nothing more is necessary than to thrust 

 their lower ends into the ground, in a shady place — say close 

 on the north side of the trunk of the tree from which they 

 were cut ; or a better way is to set them half their length deep 

 in a box of fine soil in a cellar. 



In cutting scions, take from the extremity of the limb of a 

 tree that part of it which grew the preceding season, 

 and keep the shoot or twig entire till wanted for use. 



Scions are united to their stocks in several ways. 

 "Whatever may be the mode of operating, however, 

 the principle is always the same — namely, tTie sap- 

 xessels of the graft and the stock must he so adapted 

 to each other that the sap can flow uninterruptedly 

 from the one to. the other. 



Cleft grafting is the mode in most common use. cleft 

 Stocks from half an inch to two inches in diameter ^^^-^-^ting. 

 are usually worked over in this way. The whole top of a 

 large tree may thus be headed back and grafted, so as to 

 become even more valuable than one that was grafted in the 

 nursery. 



The operation is performed as follows: Saw off the stock 



