The Story-Book of the Fields 



shoot is removed, but the stalk is left, as it 

 may be ' used for holding the shield, and 

 handling it more conveniently. The shield 

 must have no rent and no sap-wood ad- 

 hering to the bark. The bark must be 

 absolutely intact, especially in the internal 

 layers, which are the seat of life, and the 

 cavity opposite to the shoot must contain a 

 small amount of young greenish wood, which 

 is the germ and heart of the shoot. If, 

 through unskilful handling, the germ were 

 removed, the shield must be rejected, as the 

 graft would certainly be a failure. 



Next, a double cut in the bark is made in 

 the shape of a T, penetrating to the wood 

 without injuring it. The two edges of the 

 wound are raised with the spatula, and the 

 shield is inserted between the bark and the 

 wood, being held by the leaf stalk that was 

 left. Then the edges of the wound must be 

 brought together by some supple and elastic 

 ligature, which will not arrest the develop- 

 ment of the shoot. A reed, a thin strip of 

 some long flexible leaf, or a thread of wool 

 are most suitable for this purpose. If in 

 spite of this precaution the ligature were to 

 become too tight because of the growth of 

 the graft, it should be relaxed at once. When 



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