66 TheGaeden. 



crosswise, then pare the end smoothly with a knife. Next, 

 split it down about two inches with a thin, sharp knife, driven 

 with a hammer. A narrow wedge is now driven into the 

 middle of the cleft, so as to keep the top of it open about a 

 quarter of an inch. Cut the scion (which should not contain 

 more than three or four buds) at the lower end, in the form of 

 a wedge, about one and a half inches long, contriving to have 

 a bud or eye at the top of the part so formed, to insure greater 

 success. The scion is next to be inserted on one side of the 

 stock, and fitted nicely into the cleft, so that the inner bark of 

 the outer side of the scion shall exactly meet that of the stock. 

 On large stocks two scions are thus inserted, one on each side. 



The scions being adjusted, carefully withdraw the wedge 

 which stands erect between the scions. Make a ball of wax, 

 and lay it on the head of the stock, between the scions, and 

 press it down, and spread it so as to cover the head, and lap 

 over three fourths of an inch all around upon the bark, and rub 

 it down smoothly, being careful to make an air and water-joint 

 around the scions and over the- end of the stock. Where the 

 wax passes over the corner of the stock, it g!iould be quite 

 thick, to prevent it from cracking. Then cover the cleft on 

 each side quite below its lower extremity, and the work is 

 done. The next spring cut off nicely the poorest scion in each 

 stock, as one is usually quite sufiicient. 



For small seedling stocks, or small sprouts on larger trees, 

 less than half an inch in diameter, it is well to adopt the whip 

 or splice method. 



Cut the stock with a sharp knife, obliquely upward, without 

 bruising or starting the bark, and the scion downward, with a 

 corresponding angle, to make the two parts fit nicely, care 

 being taken that the inner bark of the stock and scion exactly 

 meet. Then lay the parts together, and bind them snugly with 

 a strand of matting or bass-bark, and cover the splice with 

 grafting-wax or clay, to shield it from the air and water. 



Allied to splice grafting is what is called saddle grafting. 

 On stocks of half an inch or more in diameter and scions of 



