BUDDING AND GRAFTING THE FIG 327 



is cut down to several inches from the ground ; a circular ring of bark 

 is then taken off, and a corresponding ring from the scion, but without 

 a longitudinal cut, is put in its place. In inserting it care should be 

 taken that the top of the stock, which is to receive the ring from the 

 scion, be very smooth, and the latter is then easily pushed down around 

 it and bandaged. In the case of the fig, it is especially desirable to use 

 the latter method when the sap is up, because if the top of the stock is 

 not removed, the exudation from above sours around the bud and pre- 

 vents the union of stock and bud. 



To prepare an old tree for budding over, the limbs may be cut back 

 in February to within two to six feet of the trunk, covering the ends 

 with paint or grafting wax. Allow two shoots to start near the end of 

 each of these amputated limbs, and rub off all other shoots. But the 

 shoots when they attain the thickness of one's finger, taking green buds 

 from the growth it is desired to introduce, or let them grow and bud in 

 the fall, whichever is most convenient ; or bud in the growing shoot, and 

 rebud in the fall where buds have failed. 



Grafting the Fig. The fig can be grafted by the cleft-graft 

 method, as described in Chapter IX, but the cleft should be made to one 

 side of the stub and not through the central pith. Especial care must 

 be taken in excluding the air. Fill the cleft between the scions with 

 warm wax, which will run in and fill the cavity. Then bind the stock 

 with wax bands, taking the greatest care to cover the exposed wood 

 surface, the cut end of the bark (which in the fig is very prone to shrink 

 and draw back), and as far down the stock as the bark has been split. 



Cut the shield from a limb of about Y* inch in diameter, length of shield about 

 \ l /2 inches, its thickness from l / to *4 inch, and its bud near the middle of the 

 shield. Do not remove the wood from behind the bud. Make a cut in the stock, 

 through the bark and into the wood, its length and width a little greater than 

 those of the shield. Insert the shield into the cut, so that the inner bark of the 

 top of the shield and cut will coincide, so that one side of the shield and cut-and 

 both sides, if practicable will coincide. Place the flap of the cut over the shield 

 (removing a part of the flap so the bud will not be covered), and fasten flap, 

 shield and stock together very firmly with twine, and protect them with paper 

 tied around them. They may be grafted in that mode, whenever dormant buds 

 are found, for the shields. Twenty-four shields were inserted at several times, 

 during one spring, and there was only one failure. 



A method of bark grafting applied to the fig by George C. Roeding 

 of Fresno and approved by him after several years of successful ex- 

 perience, affords an excellent way of grafting over large trees. It does 

 away with splitting the stock and therefore hastens the barking-over 

 of an amputation. The branches to be grafted are cut off within 18 to 

 24 inches from the point of divergence from the main body of the 

 tree, allowing at least two branches to remain, one of which should be 

 on the southwest, if possible, so that the grafts will be protected from 

 the afternoon sun. 



After having sawed off the branches, the stumps neatly smoothed 

 over with a sharp knife, so as to leave a clean, smooth surface, par- 

 ticularly along the edge, two, four or six scions should be placed on 

 tach stock, the number, of course, being regulated by the size of the 

 stump. Cut out a V-shaped piece of bark. The distance from the top 

 of the stock to the point of the V should be about 1% inches. 



