88 OF CHAFFING. SECT. VIU 



CLEFT-G RAFFING has been the most common 

 method of propagation, and though it is not the 

 neatest, yet it is a certain and easy way to young 

 practitioners. The stocks for this mode of grafting 

 should be 'strong, about three quarters of an inch 

 diarfieter, or more if it so happen ; but it may be 

 used with very young stocks, having cions of like 

 thickness. 



Cut off the head, as before directed, so as to have 

 (on the sunny side) a smooth part in the stock, where 

 the cion is to be placed, and cutting a part of the stock 

 off slopewise, opposite to this place, leave the top, 

 or the crown of the stock, about half an inch wide. 



Then cleave the stock v\ith a strong knife, or thin 

 sharp chisel, about two inches deep, as near the 

 middle as possible, so as not to divide the pith, and 

 if any roughness appears in the slit, smooth it off 

 with a pen-knife ; but something of the wedge kind 

 must be put into the slit to keep it open to receive 

 the cion, leaving proper room to put it in. Cut the 

 cion on each side to the form of a wedge at bottom, 

 an inch or more long, making that side which is to 

 be placed inwards in the stock, thinner by about 

 one third. Put the cion in, so that its bark, and 

 that of the stock be level ; and if the bark of the stock 

 be thick, let the bark, of the cion sink in a trifle, as 

 the current of sap that unites them, runs betwixt 

 the bark and wood. The cion being placed, take 

 the wedge out that kept the stock open ; yet if the 

 stock be so strong as to pinch the cion too hard, ease 

 it by a little bit of dry wood to be left in the cleft ; 

 so, however, as not to loosen the graff, which must 

 be held firmly : or if the stock be very strong, the 

 wedge of the cion may be nearly of equal thickness, 

 inside and out, which eases the barked part. 



The grqffwxafc be nicely whipped round with w r et 

 bass pulled tight, and the whole clayed over to an 



