THE APPLE 155 



for school gardens is that of whip and tongue, and the procedure 

 is as follows. 



For the stock we may select either the Crab, the Paradise, or 

 the Free stock. Crabs may be found in the hedges. Paradise 

 stocks may be bought from nurserymen at about thirty shillings 

 per thousand, or ninepence the dozen. Free stocks may 

 be raised from seed as described above. The young stocks 

 should be planted in autumn at such a distance apart (say two 

 feet) as will permit the grafting operations to be conveniently 

 carried out. The scions are obtained by cutting off from the 

 cultivated trees of the varieties which it is desired to propagate 

 unbranched shoots eighteen inches in length. These are taken 

 off in November or December, tied in bunches, and the cut ends 

 buried in the soil to a depth of three or four inches. About the 

 end of March 1 the stocks will show by the swelling of the buds 

 that the spring awakening is at hand, and that the time for grafting 

 is ripe. The scions are taken up, and with a sharp knife a clean 

 oblique cut is made across each one, exposing an elliptical surface 

 two inches in its longer diameter. A surface corresponding in 

 size is similarly exposed by cutting the stock at a height from the 

 ground of about six inches. Next, two vertical slits are made on 

 the stock and on the scion respectively in such a way that one 

 tongue on each fits into the slit in the other. The scion is then 

 dovetailed on to the stock, the whole carefully bound round 

 with bast, and the bast covered with grafting wax to exclude air 

 and moisture (see Fig. 59). If the operation has been successful 

 the buds of the scion will open and produce shoots in the normal 

 way, and the bast may then be removed. The young grafted 

 trees may be transplanted into their permanent quarters in the 

 November next but one following. Before actually trying their 

 hand at grafting an apple tree (and the same applies to budding), 

 beginners should practise the operation on small pieces of green 

 twigs of any kind. 



Crown grafting (see Fig. 58) is a variety of grafting practised 

 where the diameter of the stock is considerably greater than that 



1 It is probable that grafting might with advantage be deferred till rather later. 

 Some men of great practical experience hold that if the operation is carried out towards 

 the end of April there are fewer failures, and more vigorous trees are obtained. 



