250 



GRAFTING BY DETACHED SCIONS. 



that the union of their inner barks, and consequently of their albur- 

 nums, may be as close as possible ; to cut the scion in such a manner 

 that there shall be a bud or joint at its lower extremity, and the 

 stock so that there shall be a bud or joint at its upper extremity ; to 

 maintain the scion and the stock in the proper position for growth, and 

 in close contact, by a bandage of narrow shreds of matting or cloth ; to 

 exclude the air by a covering of clay or grafting- wax j and, in addition, 

 when the graft is close to the surface of the ground, by earthing it up 

 with soil ; and when the scion is making its shoot, to tie it to a prop if 

 necessary ; to remove the clay or grafting- wax, when the scion has 

 made several leaves ; to remove the bandage by degrees, when it 

 appears to be no longer necessary; and to cut off the heel on the 

 upper part of the stock at the proper time, so as that it may, if possible, 

 be healed over the same season. The modes of grafting detached 

 scions adapted for general use, are : splice or whip-grafting, cleft- 

 grafting, rind-grafting, saddle-grafting, side-grafting, root-grafting, and 

 herbaceous-grafting. 



Splice -grafting, tongue-grafting, or whip-grafting, is the mode most 

 commonly adopted in all gardens where the stocks are not much larger 

 in diameter than the scion ; and it has the advantage of being more 

 expeditiously performed than any of the other modes described in this 

 work. The stock is first cut over at the height at which the scion 

 is to be put on (fig. 195, a), and a thin slice of the bark and wood is 



Fig. 195. 



Splice-grafting in its different stages. 



then cut off with a very sharp knife, so as to leave a perfectly smooth, 

 even surface (b) ; the scion, which should at least have three buds, and 

 need never have more than five (the top one for a leading shoot, the 

 next two for side shoots, in the case of fruit-trees, and the lower to 

 aid in uniting the scion to the stock), is next cut, so as to fit the pre- 

 pared part of the stock as accurately as possible, at least on one side ; 

 then a slit or tongue, as it is technically termed, is made on the scion, 

 and a corresponding one in the stock (c). All being thus prepared, 

 the scion is applied to the stock, inserting the tongue of the one into 



