OF GRAFTING AND BUDDING. 2G5 



generally three weeks or a montli before the sea- 

 son for grafting ; therefore, when they are cut 

 off, they should be laid in the ground with the cut 

 downwards, burying them half their length, and 

 covering their tops with dry litter, to prevent their 

 drying ; if a small joint of the former year's wood 

 be cut off with the cion, it will preserve it the 

 better, and when they are grafted this may be cut 

 off; for at the same time the cions must be cut to 

 a proper length before they are inserted in the 

 stocks ; but, till then, the shoots should remain of 

 their full length, as they were taken from the tree, 

 which will better preserve them from shrinking ; if 

 the cions are to be carried to a considerable dis- 

 tance, it will be proper to put their ends into a 

 lump of clay, and to wrap them up in moss, which 

 will preserve them fresh for a month, or longer ; 

 but these should be cut off from the trees earlier 

 than those which are to be grafted near the place 

 where the trees are growing. 



Having given directions for the cions and grafts, 

 we next come to that of the stock, which is a term 

 applied to the trees intended for grafting ; these 

 are, either such old trees as are already growing 

 in the places where they are to remain, whose fruit 

 is intended to be changed; or young trees, which 

 have been raised in the nursery for a supply to the 

 garden ; in the former case, there is no other 

 choice, than that of the branches, which should be 

 such as are young, healthy, well situated, and have 



