HOW TO BUD AND GRAFT. 51 



hot rays of the sun until the wounds are completely 

 healed over. 



There is still one more mode of grafting which may aptly 

 be termed a "cross" between it and budding. This is 

 called "flute or ring grafting," and consists in taking a 

 ring of bark, with several buds on it, cutting away a cor- 

 responding ring from its stock and putting in its place the 

 scion ring, so that the edges of the bark equally join. This 

 must be done in the spring, when the bark parts most read- 

 ily, and is the surest of all modes of grafting because it so 

 nearly approaches budding pure and simple. Care must 

 be taken, however, not to encircle the tree completely in 

 cutting the scion or stock, as this would girdle it and 

 check its growth, or perhaps even result in its death. 



In grafting it is always better to take the scion from the 

 lateral branches, because more fruitful, and also to remove 

 them from the tree an hour or two before using, that the 

 sap may partly dry out, leaving place for the sap from 

 the stock to enter more freely. 



