172 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



all that is necessary to prevent drying out. The tempera- 

 ture and moisture conditions should be under perfect 

 control, and a perfectly tight grafting case is required. 

 This is usually built on the greenhouse bench, in a par- 

 tially shaded position, and about twelve inches high at 

 the front, to about eighteen inches high at the back. The 

 sides are made of wood and the top is glazed. Frequently 

 a hotbed sash is used for the top and is hinged at the 

 back (Fig. 20, middle). 



There should be excellent facilities for controlling 

 bottom heat, for a uniform bottom temperature of 75 

 should be maintained. It is also essential that the case 

 be perfectly tight. 



About four inches of coal cinders are placed in the 

 bottom of the grafting case and thoroughly wet. It is 

 from this source that the young grafted stock obtains 

 moisture for the first five days, hence the importance of a 

 sufficient amount of water in the cinders. If too wet, the 

 atmosphere of the case will be too moist. Drops of water 

 will accumulate on the surface of the leaves, producing 

 mildew. If the cinders are too dry, the foliage of the 

 cion will shrivel and die. 



138. The preparation for grafting. When ready for 

 grafting, a flat filled with manetti stock in two and one- 

 half inch pots is brought from the greenhouse and 

 placed on a low bench in front of the grafter. A bundle 

 of raffia, which has been cut into lengths of about eight 

 inches, is also placed on the bench. The person doing the 

 grafting then takes a flat, puts moist paper in the bottom, 

 and goes to the rose house to select his cions. This selec- 

 tion requires excellent judgment. The material for cions 

 should not be too hard or it will not make a speedy union 

 with the stock. If too soft, it will be lacking in reserve 



