ROOT-GRAFTING. 



applying wax over the bandage. (Recipes for wax may be 

 found at the end of this chapter. ) 



Root-grafting, especially of fruit stocks, is per- 

 formed almost entirely by the whip-graft. This opera- 

 tion is performed in winter. The stocks, either one 

 or two years old, are dug and stored in the fall. In 

 January or February the grafting is begun. In true 

 root-grafting, only pieces of roots are used, but some 

 prefer to use the whole root and graft at the crown. 

 In piece-root-grafting, from two to four trees are 

 made from a single root. A piece of root from two 

 to four inches long is used, as shown in Fig. 103. 

 The parts are usually held by winding with waxed 

 string or waxed bands. The string should be strong 

 enough to hold the parts securely and yet weak 

 enough to be broken without hurting the hands. 

 No. 18 knitting cotton answers this purpose admir- 

 ably. It should be bought in balls, which are 

 allowed to stand for a few minutes in melted wax. jL| 

 The wax soon saturates the ball. The ball is then j \ 

 removed and laid away to dry, when it is ready ^ 

 for use. This waxed string will remain almost in- 

 definitely in condition for use. Waxed bands, 

 which are sometimes used, are made by spread- \f^ 

 ing melted wax over thin muslin, which is cut ^ ; 

 into narrow strips when dry. The string is the 

 more useful fof rapid work. The grafts are 

 packed away in sand, moss or sawdust in a cool 

 cellar until spring, when the two parts will be 

 firmly callused together. Some propagators I03 ' Root -^a 

 are now discarding all tying of root-grafts. The grafts are 

 packed away snugly, and if the storage cellar is cool not 

 above 40 they will knit together so that they can be 

 planted without danger of breaking apart. If the cellar is 

 warm, the grafts will start into growth and be lost. It is 

 very important that the cellar in which root-grafts are 

 stored shall not become close or warm, else the grafts will 



