SECT. VII. OF GRAFFING. 87 



two or three inches in clay, and so matted round in 

 a bundle ; or, if wrapped round with a fine hay rope, 

 and smeared over with cow dung, clay, or a strong 

 earth, they will not soon wither, or damage. 



Some gardeners say, cions should he only of the 

 .last year's growth, and others, thai the wood of the 

 year before Is best ; but it is so far a matter of in- 

 difference, that they will take much older, though 

 (perhaps) not so certainly. As a medium way, if a 

 little of the former vear's^wood be cut with a cion of 

 the last, and this elder wood be used for the part 

 grafted, it will be found to answer, in covering the 

 stock sooner; though it must be acknowledged, that 

 all new wood is the common practice of those who 

 raise trees for sale ;. which circumstance is ordinarily 

 a presumptive, proof of right. However, if wood 

 of a year's growth is uot strong enough, then, at 

 least, some of the old wood ought to be cut with it : 

 and the bigger the stock is, tne more this practice 

 commends itself, as the barks will be somewhat more 

 equal in thickness. 



Proceeding to graff, take off a little of the lower 

 end of the cion first, and then cut it in length, so as 

 to have three or four eyes to appear above the clay- 

 ing : two eyes will be sufficient for a standard, but 

 four is better for a dwarf that is to be trained. In 

 cutting cions into lengths, let the top eye be just in 

 front, or just behind, but rather the former. Use 

 not, (except upon necessity) the upper part of a - 

 cion, as the wood is too raw for the purpose, and 

 will be shrivelled ; yet strong cions (properly in- 

 serted)." seldom miss through drought: indeed' they 

 will take sooner than, if quite iresh cut and full of 

 sap when grafted. 



The time of grafting is usually from Mid-February 

 to Mid- March ; but in a forward season sooner, and 

 in a backward one sometimes later. 



