SECT. VII, OF GRAFFlffG, 99 



direction ; some leave three or four inches of the 

 stock above the bud till the following spring, making 

 it serve to tie the new shoot to, in order to keep it 

 to a proper erect direction. Suffer no shoots from 

 the stock, but rub the buds off as soon as they ap- 

 pear. It may be of use to shade inoculated buds a 

 few days by a leaf, or a bit of paper. 



Persons desiring to grajf, are apt to neglect cut- 

 ting their dons till they get too forward, therefore 

 remember to be in time. To do the work well, there 

 must be good tools, &c. and particularly a keen 

 Jmife. Choose as good a day as can reasonably be 

 expected, for bad weather occasions hurry and em- 

 barrassment ; but defer not too long on account of 

 the weather. In handling dons, take care of their 



O ' 



eyes, that nothing bruises them, and particularly of 

 the buds used for inoculation. 



Some motion of the sap is proper at the time of 

 all graffing, but a free motion necessary for the 

 mode of graffing in the bark, and as on the sunny 

 side of the stock it moves freest, and is the best as- 

 pect as to weather, insertion of grajfs though not 

 buds, if it can be avoided, should be always on a 

 part of the stock inclining to the West. Remem- 

 ber to take off, or at least to loosen, the bandages on 

 graffs, as soon as they have taken. Silver (as a fruit 

 knife) is best to raise the bark with, or any thing is 

 preferable to iron. 



Though inoculation may seem the slowest mode of 

 propagating fruit-trees, it proves eventually the 

 quickest ; and is the most certain way to produce 

 free growing trees, with a well covered stock. The 

 insertion of a bud has also the advantage of a don, 

 as a failure does not hurt the stock so much. Avoid 

 this work of inoculation in very hot, dry. weather... 



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