326 THE NURSERY-MANUAL 



selected wood, the size of a lead-pencil, or somewhat larger, cut 

 sometime in winter, tied in bundles, and buried their entire length 

 on the shady side of a building, or under a tree, to keep them dor- 

 mant. Short-jointed, firm wood is to be preferred. All can be 

 carried in a basket, if one intends to perform the operation alone. 

 If several are to work together, of course the tools must be divided 

 accordingly. In California we work generally in gangs of three, 

 the first man clearing away the ground from the stock until he 

 comes to a smooth place for inserting the cion, whether this be at 

 the surface or slightly below. The former is preferable if resistant 

 vines are to be grafted with non-resistant cions. He then cuts off 

 the stock horizontally about an inch and a half above a knot or 

 joint. The next man cuts the cions to a smooth, long, sloping 

 wedge just below a bud [as shown in Fig. 167], then splits the stock, 

 either with pruning shears or chisel, according to its size. If the 

 stock is not more than an inch in diameter, the shears are best, as 

 only one cion is to be inserted. Keep the blade of the shears on 

 the side where the cion is to join the stock, so as to prevent bruising, 

 and make a long, smooth, sloping cut, a little transversely if 

 possible, as the junction will thereby become all the more perfect. 

 Then push the wedge of the cion firmly down into the cleft, taking 

 care that the inner bark or fiber of stock and cion are well joined, 

 as on this principally depends the success of the operation. To 

 open the cleft, the wedges on the chisel are used if necessary. An 

 expert will depend very little on these, unless the stocks are very 

 heavy, but will open the cleft with knife or shears, and then push 

 down the cion to its proper place. The inner side of the cion, oppo- 

 site the bud, should be somewhat thinner, so that the stock will 

 close firmly on it ; the cion should also be inserted far enough so 

 that the bud is just above the horizontal cut on the stock. The 

 third man follows, presses a little moist earth on the surface of the 

 stock, and then hills up around the junction to the uppermost buds 

 of the cion with well-pulverized soil, taking care not to move the 

 cion, and the operation is finished. It becomes necessary some- 

 times to tie the stock, when it is not large enough or from some 

 defect in grafting it does not firmly hold the cion. In such a case, 

 pass a string of raffia or some other flat bandage firmly around the 

 stock and tie it, but in no case use grafting wax or clay, as the strong 

 flow of sap from all the pores is apt to drown and sour the cion, 

 while without obstructing it, it will flow around the stock, serving 

 to keep the junction moist and facilitate the union. As the 



