PROPAGATION OF THE FRUITS 145 



straight and then split sHghtly with a knife or thin-bladed 

 instrument (nurserymen have special tools). The scion is 

 cut to a two-sided wedge shape and pushed into the split in 

 the stock. The scion is always much smaller than the stock 

 and care must be taken that the green bark of one comes in 

 contact with the other. A cleft-graft does not need to be 

 bound with raffia or twine, because the stock is strong enough 

 to hold the scion firmly. However, the split part and all about 

 the scion must be covered with grafting wax to keep out the 

 water. When the branch or stem to be grafted is a large one, 

 two scions are generally put in, one on each side. 



A good grafting wax can be made by melting together three 

 parts of resin, three parts of beeswax, and two parts of tallow. 

 When cool it can be applied with a small paddle or old knife. 

 This wax should be used on all large wounds, because they 

 do not heal until the new growth grows over the cut ends from 

 the green part of the bark. If wounds are left uncovered they 

 are apt to begin decaying and thus weaken the tree or limb. 



In-arching is a method of grafting two plants which stand 

 near each other. Each plant remains growing on its own root 

 until the joined parts have grown together. To in-arch two 

 plants it is only necessary to cut away the barii where they 

 come together and tie them firmly with raffia or narrow strips 

 of cloth. If the plants joined are woody plants, the parts 

 should be covered with wax. In-arching is practised mostly 

 with soft-wooded and herbaceous plants. When the parts 

 have grown together, the scion is cut loose from its root and 

 the process is done. 



The methods of grafting and increasing plants described in 

 this chapter are modified in many ways by nurserymen and 

 fruit growers, but the principle is always the same. 



