CiUting Grafts and Grafting. 363 



may be pared down pretty thin, and then set in large stocks. 

 Some grafting- " bunglers" we have seen, will leave their scions 

 sticking up above the stock, three, four, and five inches long ; this 

 is bad business, as in nine cases out of ten if they live they will 

 get broken off by wind and birds There it looks again as though 

 the grafter expected his scions to have apples by the " Fourth of 

 July ;" at leaist a wrong calculation. As to the size of the stocks 

 for grafting, those that are about the size of a hoe handle, or from 

 an inch to an inch and a half diameter will answer best. Some 

 grafters saw oflf limbs two and two and a half inches in diameter, 

 and though scions will usually live and grow in such stocks, yet 

 it takes a longer time for such stocks to heal over ; then the 

 stock often pinches the scion so tight as to kill it. So we prefer 

 to go two or four feet further out, until we find the limbs of a 

 <'onvenient size to saw off. In grafting a large tree, go first into 

 the top to saw off, throwing the bush over, outside, and down out 

 of the way. Care should be taken to saw each tier of under 

 limbs at a distance of from two to four feet out beyond the limbs 

 alone, so that when the grafts get well started they will not grow- 

 up into each other, but will have room to spread. Of course, two 

 scions should be set in a stock, usually one scion if they live will 

 be enough, cut with care can be retained if wanted as may be. 



Most grafters now use a chisel and a wedge combined, to 

 split and open the stock, with a small hammer to strike. In 

 absence of the chisel, a half worn butcher knife, and a small steel 

 wedge and hammer will answer a good purpose to split the stocks 

 and set the scions. A fine edge and stiff back, some such as join- 

 ers use to saw clapboards, should be used to saw the limbs, and 

 a good pruning knife to pare the stocks. The grafting wax 

 should be made of seven parts — namely, four of resin, two of bees' 

 wax, and one of tallow, melted together in an iron kettle, and 

 when it has become thoroughly dissolved it may be poured into 

 cold water, and then pulled like shoemaker's wax in rolls ; or it 

 may be left to stand in the kettle, and pulled and washed as 

 wanted. This latter plan we prefer, as the iron kettle will draw 

 the rays of the sun, and soften the wax so thai it can easily be 

 worked ; so that warm, sunny days should be selected for graft- 

 ing in the early season, not only for comfort, but to melt the wax. 

 The inside of the hands should be well greased to prevent the 



