ENGRAFTING. 117 



the ground, covering them nearly to the top, and 

 rather in dry earth, under the shelter of a bush and 

 shaded from the sun. 



Judge of the proper season for engrafting rather 

 by the opening of the leaf buds than by the day of 

 the month; but you will not be very far wrong by 

 taking the middle of March as the fit time for pears, 

 and that for apples two weeks later. Choose for 

 the operation a day when it is agreeable to be 

 out of doors mild, but not sunny; and for this 

 latter inconvenience, early rising is an excellent 

 remedy. Have every thing in readiness a mass 

 of equal parts of blue clay and cow's dung, wrought 

 to such consistence as to retain whatever form you 

 give it, a sharp knife, and plenty of strands of bass 

 matting previously steeped in water. The modes 

 of engrafting are numerous; but the main princi- 

 ple in all is to bring the inner bark of the stock 

 and of the slip or scion into close contact, and 

 fasten them in that position without the smallest 

 deviation. Wherefore, keeping these principles in 

 view, it will only be necessary to describe two modes 

 of applying it, and which will be found to answer 

 in every case the one more convenient for young, 

 and the other for old trees, or such as have con- 

 siderable thickness of stem. 



When the stock is young, and not thicker than 

 a finger, give it a smooth splice cut clean through, 

 about half a foot from the ground, and make the 

 cut two inches long: set the edge of the knife upon 

 the middle of the sloping cut, and, pressing down- 



