474 [ THE VINE. 



should be about 10 c.m. long. Grafting o f the stem or 

 large brandies above ground necessarily entails the use 

 of grafting wax, with which all exposed tissues should 

 be besmeared to prevent drying, but more often our 

 gardeners make use of tin or zinc funnels or other likely 

 receptacle at hand, into which they introduce the graft 

 on which the ligature has been properly adjusted, and 

 fill up with soil which is watered occasionally to keep it 

 moist and cool. Grafts made at ground level, are tied 

 in the usual way, and then simply heaped up with soil, 

 leaving exposed only the uppermost bud. The tools 

 used in this grafting are the same in general use for the 

 grafting of other fruit trees, and are kept scrupulously 

 bright and clean to prevent any possible contamination of 

 the exposed tissues of the stock or of the scion where 

 they aie meant to unite, as that would be attended by a 

 serious danger of failure 



Grafting a thick stem at ground level is sometimes 

 modified with the object of ensuring success, by the use 

 of a long scion which also acts as a cutting, to the lower 

 part of wh<ch a heel is left attached and is embedded 

 deeply in the soil at the foot of old stem, that part of 

 the scion to be inserted in the cleft of the stock being 

 cut neatly like a knife blade to fit the cleft. This scion- 

 cutting of course will form roots at its heel which will 

 keep it well alive until there is complete union between 

 the graft and the stock. The heel may be cut off in the 

 following winter, or may be allowed to remain. 



Grafting on American stock or on American hybrids 

 has now become an indispensable operation as a preven- 

 tive against the Phylloxera, and this grafting is usually 

 performed on quite young stock, or even on cuttings. 

 This interesting operation has become the corner of 

 modern viticulture in all countries wherever the Vine- 

 Phylloxera has made its appearance, and for our purpose 

 the following summary description will be found sufficient. 



