THE ASSISTANT AT WORK 13 



"What is that you are doing? " asked Mary, forget- 

 ting her garden and suddenly interested in Mr. 

 Trommel's operations. The old man was 

 sitting by a low bench, and had in front 

 of him a row of balls of earth almost as 

 large as croquet-balls, and protruding from 

 each one was what looked like a dead brown 

 stick. "What is that?" she asked again, 

 as Mr. Trommel picked up one of these 

 unmeaning-looking balls. 



"This is grafting," he answered. "This 

 in my hand, this is the stock." He held 

 it wedged between his knees while he 

 selected a smooth, green, prosperous- 

 looking young shoot from a few he had laid beside 

 him, "and this, this is the scion, that is, the baby 

 he must adopt." He held the little twig be- 

 tween his lips. "See, I make a little slice 

 off the stock that is, the papa so." He 

 laid it aside, and took the young shoot 

 again in his hand ; "then I take a little slice 

 off the baby so" (suiting the action to the 

 word and making a clean, smooth cut with 

 his knife). He took up the stock again, and the two 

 cut surfaces fitted together beautifully ; holding them 



