52 NATURE TEACHING. 



is necessary to cover the junction between 

 scion and stock in order to prevent the tissues 

 drying, for the cambium would then die and .no 

 union take place. In order to preserve the 

 tissues in a moist condition it is sometimes the 

 custom to fix a mass of clay over the place 

 where stock and scion meet ; this however is 

 liable to become dry and to crack so that it is 

 preferable to employ soft wax in a similar man- 

 ner. More commonly, strips of cloth or tape 

 are covered with the wax, and these strips are 

 bound round the joint, thus holding the scion 

 in place and, at the same time, forming a 

 waterproof covering which effectually keeps 

 the tissues from drying. 



6. One particular method of grafting, 

 known as budding, deserves special mention. 

 It consists in the removal of a bud together 

 with a little of the wood and bark, and conse- 

 quently a portion of the cambium, from one 

 plant and its insertion under the bark, that is 

 in the cambium region, of another plant. The 

 inserted bud unites with the plant in which it 

 is inserted, and growing quickly forms a new 

 branch. Budding is much more commonly 

 employed than any other form of grafting in 

 the West Indies, being very successful with 

 such trees as oranges amongst economic plants, 

 and roses amongst decorative ones. 



