248 PROPAGATION BY GRAFTING, ETC. 



by passing it first through a solution of white soap, and next through 

 one of alum ; by which a neutral compound is formed insoluble in 

 water. These prepared shreds, before being put on, are softened, by 

 holding them over a small vessel of burning charcoal, which the 



Fig. 194. 



Grafting-knife, with the portion of the back of the blade from + to + ground 

 to a cutting-edge, so as to make it serve also for a budding^knife. 



grafter carries with him ; and when grafting wax is employed instead 

 of grafting clay, it is kept in an earthen pot, also placed over live 

 charcoal, and the composition taken out and laid on with a brush. 

 There are compositions, however, which become soft by the heat of the 

 hand, or by breathing on them. 



Grafting clay is prepared by mixing clay of any kind, or clayey 

 loam, fresh horse or cow-dung, free from litter, in the proportion of 

 three parts in bulk of clay to one of dung ; and adding a small portion 

 of hay, not, however, cut into too short lengths, its use being analogous 

 to that of hair in plaster. The whole is thoroughly mixed together, 

 and beaten up with water, so as to be of a suitable consistency and 

 ductility for putting on with the hands, and for remaining on in wet 

 weather, and also in dry weather without cracking. The beating is per- 

 formed with a beetle or rammer, on a smooth hard floor under cover, 

 turning over the mass, and adding water, and then beating afresh, till 

 it becomes sufficiently softened and ductile. The process of beating 

 must be repeated two or three times a day for several days ; and it 

 should be completed from three weeks to a month before the clay is 

 wanted ; care being taken to preserve it in a moist state, by covering 

 it with mats or straw. The grafting clay used by the French gardeners 

 is composed of equal parts of cow-dung, free from litter, and fresh 

 loam, thoroughly beaten up and incorporated. 



Grafting wax is very generally used on the Continent, instead of 

 grafting clay. There are various recipes for composing it, but they 

 may all be reduced to two kinds: 1. Those which", being melted, are 

 laid on the graft in a fluid and hot state with a brush ; and 2, those 

 which are previously spread on pieces of coarse cotton, or brown paper, 

 and afterwards wrapped round the graft in the same manner as strands 

 of matting. The common composition for the first kind is one pound 

 of cow-dung, half a pound of pitch, and half a pound of bees-wax, 

 boiled up together, and heated when wanted in a small earthen pot. 

 For the second kind, equal parts of turpentine, bees-wax, and rosin 

 are melted together. Both these are now nearly superseded by the use 

 of the composition called " Mastic 1'Homme Lefort," which is fully 

 described in Mr. Robinson's work on the "Parks, Pleasure-grounds, 

 and Gardens of Paris," page 565. This substance can be bought in 



