104 FRUIT CULTURE. 



under the tie, and drawing tightly. Then immediately 

 close the wound completely with a piece of clay wrapped 

 firmly round, and press firmly to a tapering point round 

 the scion at the top, and to the stock below. This com- 

 pletes the operation, and nothing more will be required 

 except to watch the clay to see that it is not washed down 

 during rain before the graft has commenced to grow. 

 When the young growth is a few inches high, the clay 

 must be removed, which is done by giving it a sharp tap 

 on one side whilst holding something firmly against the 

 other side. The tie will next require attention, and must 

 be loosened as soon as it shows signs of cutting, which 

 may be seen by the swelling of the bark around and 

 between the bands. As the growth proceeds it may be 

 necessary in some cases to support the graft with a stake, 

 or a high wind may blow it off. The next operation is 

 performed in the autumn, and is called snagging, or 

 trimming off the end of the stock with an upward sloping 

 cut to the scion, considerable practice being required to 

 make a clean cut, and not to damage the scion. A young 

 tree of the desired variety is thus firmly established upon 

 the stock, and may afterwards be pruned and trained into 

 the required form. 



Budding is performed at the time when the sap is in 

 full flow, and as soon as the young growth of the tree is 

 sufficiently advanced to allow of the bud being properly 

 removed, this usually being in July or August. The 

 stocks are side-trimmed, but not topped as for graft- 

 ing. The young wood is then cut from the tree from 

 which it is intended to propagate, and placed in a can 

 of water to keep moist. The branch is next taken, 

 and the leaves trimmed off, leaving only the leaf stalks 

 remaining. The branch is then held in the hand as in 



