PROPAGATION BY BUDDING AND GRAFTING 139 



In piece-root-grafting, from two to four trees are made from 

 a single root. A piece of root 2 to 4 inches long is used, 

 as shown in Fig. 154. The parts are usually 

 held by winding with waxed string or waxed 

 bands. The string should be strong enough 

 to hold the parts securely and yet weak enough 

 to be broken without hurting the hands. No. 

 18 knitting cotton answers this purpose admi- 

 rably. It should be bought in balls, which are 

 allowed to stand for a few minutes in melted wax. 

 The wax soon saturates the ball. The 

 ball is then removed and laid away to 

 dry, when it is ready for use. This 

 waxed string will remain almost in- 

 definitely in condition for use. Waxed 

 bands, sometimes used, are made by 

 spreading melted wax over thin mus- 

 lin, which is cut into narrow strips 

 when dry. The string is the more 

 useful for rapid work. The com- 

 pleted grafts are packed away in sand, 

 moss or sawdust in a cool cellar until 

 spring, when the two parts will be 

 firmly callused together. Some propa- 

 gators eliminate all tying of root- 

 grafts. The grafts are packed away FlG - 154 - 



i j xi. 11 



snugly, and if the storage cellar is 

 cool not above 40 - - they will knit together so 

 that they can be planted without danger of break- 

 m g apart. If the cellar is warm, the grafts will start 



short piece into growth and be lost. String or bandages that do 

 not soon decay when growth begins will strangle the 



graft. The waxed cotton may last too long and do much damage. 

 In common root-grafting in the East and South, the cion 





root-graft. 



Grift 



