WIXK-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 119 



making only the transverse or slanting cut, as described be- 

 fore. One cuts the scions, for which . purpose he needs a 

 very sharp, thin-bladed knife ; a good budding knife is about 

 the best that can he had. A fourth inserts the scions, which 

 should be kept moist, not wet, by wrapping in a piece of moist 

 cloth ; the fifth ties, with raphia, basswood bark, or rice 

 straw, taking care to wrap the whole cut smoothly and evenly; 

 and the sixth covers up, first pressing a little moist earth on 

 the cut, and then filling up around the scion to the upper 

 bud, making a small mound around it. This division of 

 labor has the advantage that each hand has to perform only 

 one single and very simple operation, which he can soon 

 learn to do to perfection, and that even very common hands 

 can be used for the first and last operations. Nos. 2, 3, 4 

 and 5 ought to be the most careful hands, as is obvious, but 

 any good, handy man can soon learn these to perfection. 



It will be easily seen how this can be varied by grafting 

 above or just at the surface. This will save the labor of dig- 

 ging around the vine, but increase the " mounding up " 

 around it. . In this case I think that bandages and grafting 

 wax should be used, which one could apply with a brush after 

 the scion is inserted, over the surface of the stock, and over 

 the side on which the scion is inserted, covering the whole 

 place of union. If the one who ties follows closely, the 

 bandage will hold more firmly on the grafting wax. A very 

 good wax for the purpose is composed as follows : Two- 

 thirds rosin, one-sixth beeswax, one-sixth tallow, melted to- 

 gether and applied warm, not hot. It must not be hot 

 enough to burn the finger. A very convenient preparation 

 is made of shellac, dissolved in alcohol, say i Ib. shellac in 

 a quart of alcohol. This can be applied cold, and is always 

 ready for use. 



3. Grafting on non-resistant vines with the best of resis- 

 tants, to establish the graft on its own roots. 



