PROPAGATION 53 



ing the knife it is bent over in order to open out the tongue. 

 This very much facilitates the placing together of stock and 

 scion. 



"The stock and scion are now placed together and, if every- 

 thing has been done properly, there will be no cut surface 

 visible and the extremity of neither stock nor scion will pro- 

 ject over the cut surface of the other. It is much better that 

 the points should not quite reach the bottom of the cut surface 

 than that they should overlap, as the union will be more com- 

 plete and the scions will be less liable to throw out roots. If 

 the points do overlap, the overlapping portion should be cut 

 off, as in the Champin grafts. 



" A skillful grafter, by following the above-described method, 

 will make grafts most of which will hold together very firmly. 

 Many of them would be displaced, however, in subsequent 

 operations, so that it is necessary to tie them. This is done 

 with raffia or waxed string. The only object of the tying is 

 to keep the stock and scion together until they unite by the 

 growth of their own tissues, so that the less material used the 

 better, provided this object is attained. For the formation 

 of healing tissue air is necessary, so that clay, wax, tinfoil 

 or anything that would exclude the air should not be used. 

 The tying material is passed twice around the point of the 

 scion to hold it down firmly, and then with one or two wide 

 spirals it is carried to the point of the stock, which is fastened 

 firmly with two more turns and the end of the string passed 

 under the last turn. The less string is used the more easily 

 it is removed later in the nursery. 



"Untreated raffia should be used for late grafts which are 

 to be planted directly out in the nursery, but if the grafts 

 are to be placed first in a call using bed it is best to bluestone 

 the raffia in order to prevent rotting before the grafts are 

 planted. This is done by steeping the bundles of raffia in a 

 three per cent solution of bluestone for a few hours and then 



