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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



ling roots, and make them go as far as 

 possible. On the other hand, it will not 

 do to leave too much of the part that 

 grew above ground on the root or stock, 

 as the buds would be very likely to grow, 

 thus keeping the scion from forming a 

 tree. In this case, the tree that was 

 formed would be a seedling. In making 

 the sloping cut upon the root or stock, 

 care should be taken to see that it and 

 also the tongue are as near like the slope 

 and tongue on the scion as it is possible 

 to make them. Particularly is it neces- 

 sary that the slit for the tongue be 

 started at exactly the same distance from 

 the end on both scion and root. The root 

 is now cut off about three inches long 

 and the process repeated until the entire 

 seedling root has been used. If the seed- 

 lings made a good growth and the soil 

 was porous enough to let them go down 

 properly, each root will usually make 

 about three pieces. Consult Figs. 2 and 3. 

 Join the root and scion by placing the 

 two sloping surfaces together and caus- 

 ing the tongues to interlock. Just here 

 the main thing to be observed is to watch 

 one side and see that the bark line of 

 the scion comes exactly into contact with 

 the bark line of the root. This is highly 

 important, for here is where the two are 

 to grow together. The scion an(J-.root 

 may not be of the same thickness, in' fact 

 seldom are, but this makes no difference 

 if the above instructions are followed. 

 (See Fig. 2.) If the tongues of both 

 scion and stock are of the same length 

 and were started at about the same dis- 

 tance from the end of each piece they 

 will exactly fit. If one of the slits has 

 been started too low down on the face 

 of the sloping cut, this will be shown 

 when the two pieces are fitted together. 

 For example, suppose the tongue was 

 started too low down on the stock, but 

 at the right point on the scion. When 

 the two are put together it will be found 

 that the sloping part of the stock will 

 overlap on the scion far beyond the cut 

 surface where it is intended it should fit 

 neatly. This is very bad, as a wound 

 will result, and such a wound cannot heal. 

 To grow together, the two cut surfaces 

 must be in intimate contact so that their 



cambium layers on at least one side will 

 touch. If a cut surface is in contact 

 with the outside of a bark surface, as 

 in the example cited above, it is easy 

 to see that the parts cannot unite. An 

 open wound under ground is as bad as 

 a wounded place above ground, for both 

 invite disease organisms. See right hand 

 side of Fig. 2. 



Fiff. 2. rropa.satins Apples b.v Piece Root 

 Graftinj;. In The first on the left a represents 

 the scion and b the root or stock. Note how 

 tongue is cut in each. In the next picture 

 c anu (/ shows the scion and stock properly 

 fitted together, and c illustrates how they are 

 tied with No. 19 cotton knitting thread. Not 

 necessary to was or even use waxed thread. 



The remainder of the picture — the three figures 

 on the right, show what happens when the 

 tongues on scion and stock are not made 

 alike. In a tlie tongue is about riglit, but in 

 6 it is started entirely too far from the end 

 to match. When made this wa.v and fitted 

 together the pieces overlap and form a very 

 bad union as shown in c. 



After uniting the scion and stock it 

 will be necessary to wrap the point of 

 union with No. 18 or 20 cotton knitting 

 thread. Holding the graft in the left 

 hand with the root part forward, the 

 thread is laid upon the wood near the 

 end of the cut, wound two or three times 

 around at this place, at the same time 

 pressing the parts together tightly with 

 thumb and fin,ger. Next work the thread 

 up to the other end of the cut by winding 

 it two or three times around the graft 

 during the distance, then two or three 



