PROPAGATION BY GRAFTING. 95 



spring in the house, it will be sufficient to bury their 

 lower ends in earth, in a cool, dry cellar ; but if wanted 

 for out-door grafting, they should be buried in dry sand 

 soil, in a j)it, on the north side of a wall or fence, and 

 deeply covered with earth drawn up in a mound to throw 

 off the water. They are thus kept perfectl}- dormant un- 

 til used, and not so dry as to shrivel the bark. They 

 should always be taken from healthy, vigorous trees ex- 

 clusively, and be of firm, well-ripened wood from the up- 

 per l)ranches of the tree. A moderate-sized shoot or cion, 

 if well matured and sound, is much better than one as 

 thick as a man's finger, pithy and unripe. The implements 

 used in grafting are tlie (jrafting-ki^ife, saw, and chisel, 

 (see implements). In whip-grafting or splice-grafting, 

 the stocks being small require the knife only, or not mora 

 than the knife and chisel. It is always better to have two 

 knives — one to prune and do the rougli Avork, and the 

 other to prepare the cion. Grafting composition is pre- 

 ])ared in various Avays. Rosin, beeswax, and tallow, in 

 about equal parts, answer very well. Lately, however, 

 Ave have found it better to use more rosin and less bees- 

 Avax and tallow ; thus, to tA\'o pounds of rosin ^ye. add one 

 and one-fourtli pounds of beeswax, and three-fourths of a 

 pound of tallow. For Avhip-grnfting on the root, and 

 small trees in the nursery, we use thin calico cloth, satu- 

 rated Avith this composition, instead of the composition it- 

 self, and find it more convenient and expeditious. For 

 root grafts, instead of cloth, we now use paper, which we 

 find answers tlie 2)urpose perfectly. This paper is a cheap 

 broAvn article knoAvn here as " grafting paper " and is used 

 by nearly all nurserymen for this purpose. The liquid 

 Avax is spread on the paper Avith a brush, after which it is 

 cut into strips an inch or so wide, ready for use. (Instead 

 of tallow Ave now use raw linseed oil, a pint of which is equal 

 to a pound of tallow.) We tear the calico into narrow 

 strips, roll it into balls, and then soak it in the liquid com* 



