GEAFTING OF THE VINE ABOVE GKOUND. 



15 



The blades of the secateur are placed parallel with the axis 

 of a shoot, at its middle and level with the bud. The lateral 

 portion detached, must be a little under half the thickness 

 of the shoot. The two handles of Besson's shears are 

 brought together, and the cut thus made. This cut (Fig. 20 A) 

 is regularly curved and concave ; its length varies according 

 to the size of the cane it is about one inch long. 



" To prepare the scion we operate in exactly the same 

 way as with the stock, only, while in this case the cut is 

 made on the second eye, counting from the top of the cut- 

 ting, the scion is taken anywhere from the cane used as 

 scion bearer. The scion-bud thus prepared (Fig. 20 B, C) 



Fig. 19. Besson's Grafting Shears. 



Fii?. 20. Besson Graft. 



A, stock ; B and C. scion - 

 bud. 



fits marvellously well, on account of its convexity corres- 

 ponding exactly to the concavity of the stock. As it is the 

 same blade which makes the two cuts, and as this blade is 

 placed in the same way in both cases, the juxtaposition of 



