50 FLORIDA FRUITS ORANGES. 



crown of the stock. Your scions ready, slip a thin blade 

 or the ivory handle of a budding-knife about two inches 

 downward, between the bark and wood at the top of the 

 stock, pass it gently around the latter, withdraw it and 

 thrust in its place your scions, one after the other, their 

 number being limited, if you like, only by the size of the 

 stock, till they stand up like a crown around the top of 

 the stake, their little shoulders resting on the level surface 

 for support. And now the inevitable wrapping and the 

 operation is completed, "for better or for worse," as a 

 month will tell. 



Yet another method of grafting is there, termed "side 

 grafting." This is often also called "tongue grafting," 

 and differs only from " whip " or " tongue grafting" proper 

 in being performed on the side of a tree instead of on the 

 top of a cut down stock. Where a valuable tree has lost 

 a branch from any cause, as often happens, and an ugly 

 lopsided appearance is the result, "side grafting" is re- 

 sorted to to supply the deficiency. Having selected the 

 spot where you wish a new branch, you pare off the bark 

 and a little of the wood, cut the scions to fit as nearly as 

 possible, and wrap them closely together. 



In all these various modes of grafting, while their suc- 

 cess or failure will be evident within a month by the aspect 

 of the buds on the scion, yet it is not safe, if good fortune 

 has attended your efforts, to remove the wrapping or clay 

 for at least three months, until the graft be completely 

 healed over, and even then the^ removal should be gradual. 

 In some cases, to be determined by the judgment of the 

 operator, a ligature around the graft, or a stake to which 

 the young shoots of the scion should be tied, may be ad- 

 visable for a year or more, and often a bandage of moss 

 wrapped lightly around the point of junction will be of 

 great advantage in retaining moisture and warding off the 



