GRAFTING 109 



ing scions in place. It consists of a strong tarred 

 or paraffined cord with ends tied in a firm knot but 

 hanging loosely about the graft. A wooden skewer 

 or any small twister is then inserted into the loop 

 of cord and twisted about until the part of the cord 

 about the stock wound is so snug that it holds the 

 scion in place more firmly than it can be held by 

 any sort of wrapping. In order to prevent the cord 

 from cutting into the bark one or two shields of 

 wood an inch in length may be interposed between 

 cord and bark. The twister of the Spanish windlass 

 is made fast with a staple driven into any convenient 

 holding point on the stock in order to prevent the 

 windlass from unwinding (Figs, u and 15). Gal- 

 vanized staples may remain in place for a year or 

 two without apparent injury to the stock. The whole 

 scion and wound are covered with melted paraffin 

 applied with a brush. (Fig. 8.) The windlass will 

 sometimes remain in place for two seasons without 

 change, holding the scion firmly in place all of that 

 time and requiring no attention. The growing stock 

 separates the two shields very much as it might sepa- 

 rate two rocks on the ground at the base of a tree 

 without injury to the tree. Along with this forcible 

 separation of the shields there is automatically a 

 tightening of the cord of the windlass. If we have 

 cord that is strong enough and slippery enough, as 

 with cord treated with paraffin, the tightening of the 

 cord in the course of growing enlargement of the 

 stock results in automatic unwinding of the cord 

 nearest to the stock and compensating winding up 



