38 



PROPAGATION BY GRAFTING. 



plied in different ways. The wax may be directly applied 

 when just warm enough to run, by means of a brush ; or if 

 may be spread thickly with a brush over sheets of muslin, 01 

 thin, tough paper, (" post-office paper" is best,) which are 

 afterwards, during a cold day, cut up into plasters of con- 

 venient size for applying ; or, the wax, after cold, may be 

 worked up, with wet hands, and drawoi out into thin strips 01 

 ribbons of wax, and wrapped closely around the inserted 

 graft. In all cases success is more certain, when the wax 

 is closely pressed so as to fit closely to every part, and 

 leave no interstices ; and it is indispensible that every por 

 tion of the wound on the stock and graft be totally ex 

 eluded from the external air. In cool weather, a lantern, 

 chafing dish, or hot brick, will b'e found necessary to soften 

 the plasters before applying them. 



Pig. 15. Fig. 16 Fig. 17. Fig. 18. 



The annexed figures represent the two most common 

 modes of grafting fruit trees ; figs. 15 to 18, representing 

 successive stages of whip or tongue grafting, from the slop- 

 ing cut of the scion and stock, to the completion of the ope- 

 ration by the covering with the wax plaster. Fig. 19 shows 

 a stock cut off for cleft-grafting with the upright cleft sepa- 

 rated by an iron or steel wedge, ready for the graft ; fig. 20, 

 cut wedge-form to fit it; and fig. 21, the graft in its place 



