238 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



apples ; but if scions are cut early and well preserved, grafting 

 may be successfully performed by a skillful hand. until the 

 trees become full-leaved, though earlier grafting is to be pre- 

 ferred. Crown grafting upon large limbs should be deferred 

 until the trees are just ready to push their buds, so that the 

 stiletto will readily open the bark for the reception of the graft- 

 wedge. 



Inarching may be performed, like other grafting, just before 

 growth commences. In plants that are housed, as camellias, 

 &c., this may be after New Year, and again in June, but in 

 out-door kinds at ordinary spring-time. 



BINDING UP AND COVERING. 



When grafting is ^perforated upon stocks before planting 

 them, they are sometimes not bound up at all ; at other times, 

 and especially when they are small seedling stocks, they are 

 wrapped with refuse tow, or flax, or rag, or other bandage (see 

 Fig. 116 e, p. 234), and in both cases, being planted sufficiently 

 deep, in rows, the earth is ridged slightly along, so as to shed 

 the rain and substitute for other protection. When grafted 

 above ground by either of the modes described, except cleft and 

 crown grafting, careful bandaging is never omitted ; but, either 

 with bass strips, or rags, or tow, they are bound firmly to their 

 true position, and covered either with grafting mortar or com- 

 position, as directed hereafter. In cleft and crown grafting, 

 the graft is generally held with sufficient firmness to its posi- 

 tion by the -stock, and requires only covering from the air and 

 moisture, which is effected either by coating it with composi- 

 tion (No. 1), or binding it with rags coated with or soaked in 

 the composition ; or binding or wrapping it first with rag or 

 other material, and applying with a brush one or other of the 

 compositions described on another page ; or by forming around 

 it a ball of grafting mortar as large as a goose egg. This must 

 be so applied as not to press the graft out of place, and, being 

 moulded to an oval or egg form four or five inches long, with 

 the upper and smaller end carefully closed, and the larger end 

 well set around the stock just below the wrapping, it is nicely 

 finished by dipping the hands in a little dry dust or ashes, and 



