PROPAGATION OF PLANTS WITHOUT SEEDS 37 



just beneath the bark of each. If the cambium of the scion 

 is in perfect contact with the cambium of the root, growth 

 is likely to take place, otherwise they will probably not live. 



EXERCISE. Root-grafting. Let the students have some 

 practice in making root-grafts. Until the method is well 

 learned, it is best to use willow or any other convenient 

 switches to represent the roots and sciuns of apples. The 

 second lesson may be with the real apple roots and apple 

 scions. These may be secured in the neighborhood or from 

 any nurseryman. For this exercise and the exercise in 

 budding any wide thin-bladed pocket knives will do if better 

 ones are not available. Have them very sharp. 



EXERCISE. Making Grafting Wax. Melt together in a 

 tin can or pail one pound of rosin, one-half pound of beeswax 

 or paraffin, and four ounces of tallow; when well melted and 

 mixed allow the mass to cool a little and then pour it into 

 a pail of cold water. Let one or two pupils rub tallow on 

 their hands, work and pull the mass, as they would pull 

 candy, until it is of a light yellow color; make it into rolls 

 and lay on a sheet of greased wrapping paper to harden. 



EXERCISE. Waxing Cotton for Grafting. While the wax 

 is melted, in the preceding exercise, put into it for a few 

 moments a ball of No. 18 or No. 20 knitting cotton. Remove 

 it and let it cool on a sheet of greased paper. Pieces of this 

 six or eight inches long will be used to wrap around each 

 root-graft and may be used in the budding exercises. 



Budding Apple Trees. New apple trees of the preferred 

 varieties may be propagated by budding. This method is 

 now quite common among nurserymen. The young seedling 

 trees for stocks are grown in good soil for one season, or 

 until August, from seeds sown the preceding spring. 



Scions or bud sticks are taken from the new growth on 

 trees we wish to propagate. This is done in August or early 

 September. The leaves are all clipped off leaving about 

 one-half inch of each leaf stem on the twig to serve as bud 



