MARCH] . THE NURSERY. 263 



parching weather; work the whole well together, and add as much 

 water as necessary; after which, beat and incorporate the mass 

 effectually, after the manner of mortar, and continue so to work it 

 every other day, adding a little water as it becomes dry, till the time 

 you want it for use. Be very particular, during this period, not to 

 expose it to frost or drying winds ; and the more effectually you in- 

 corporate it, the better will it answer your purpose. Some people 

 use a composition of bees-wax, rosin, and turpentine, melted together, 

 to put round the grafts in the manner of clay, but laid on warm and 

 much thinner. This I conceive to be too expensive, and am certain, 

 from experience, that it does not answer the end a whit better, nor 

 even so well as the former, if properly made. 



Observe, that the stocks to be grafted, if intended for dwarf trees, 

 for espaliers or walls, must be headed down to within five or six 

 inches of the ground ; but if for full standards, they may be headed 

 and grafted at five or six feet high, or in fact at any height you 

 please, even at the surface of the ground, but more particularly 

 apples and pears ; for you can afterwards train the graft on a single 

 clean stem, as high as you like, and then top it, to cause it to throw 

 out side branches for forming a head ; this is the best method to treat 

 stunted or ill formed stocks, but is not necessary for those that are 

 well thriven and straight, for by it you would lose a year of their 

 growth, as you can immediately form the head from the graft when 

 inserted at a proper height ; for dwarf and half standards, you may 

 head and graft at the height of two, three, or four feet. 



There are various methods of grafting in practice ; such as whip- 

 grafting, cleft-grafting, crown-grafting, side-grafting, root-grafting, 

 and grafting by approach or inarching; but the two former are in 

 more general use among experienced gardeners, particularly the first, 

 as being every way preferable to any other, when the stocks are 

 under an inch in diameter. 



FIRST, BY WHIP-GRAFTING. 



This kind of grafting is that most commonly practised in nurseries, 

 as being both the most expeditious and successful, and may be per- 

 formed upon smaller stocks than any other; for it is effected with 

 the greatest success upon such as are from about half an inch or less, 

 to near an inch in diameter; the method of performing the work is 

 this: 



Having the scions or grafts, knife, bandages, and clay ready, then 

 begin the work by cutting off the head of the stock at some clear 

 smooth part thereof, generally performing this by one clean slanting 

 cut upwards, so as to form a slope on one side about an inch and a 

 half or two inches in length ; and make a notch or small slit from 

 near the upper part downwards, a little better than half an inch long, 

 to receive the tongue of the scion ; then prepare the scion by cutting 

 it to five or six inches in length, preferring the lower or thick part, 

 and cutting the bottom end on one side also, in a sloping manner, 

 the length of, and to fit the slope of the stock, as if cut from the 

 same place, that the rinds of both may join as nearly as possible in 



