82 



HORTICULTURE FOR SCHOOLS 



The method consists in uniting two plants while they are on 

 their own roots. A piece of the bark is cut from the stems 

 of the stock and cion and the two wounded portions are tied 

 tightly together. Waxing is necessary. After the 

 union has taken place, the top of the stock is cut 

 off just above the graft, and the stem of the cion 

 just below the graft, leaving the top of the cion 

 on the stock. 



136. Bridge-grafting. Trees which have been 

 injured by being girdled by rabbits or rodents 

 can frequently be saved by bridge-grafting. This 

 FIG. 59. side- form is also useful in cases in which pear-blight 

 has made it necessary to remove portions of the 

 tree trunk. In bridge-grafting the bark around the 

 edge of the wound is first trimmed to a smooth edge, and 

 the ends of a small branch of the proper length are cut 

 obliquely and inserted under the edges of the bark. Such 

 cions are placed at intervals of every two or three inches 

 (Fig. 60). Sometimes the ends of 

 the inserted cions are nailed down. 

 The ends of the cion and edge of 

 the bark must be waxed, and all the 

 injured surfaces should be painted. 

 As the sap circulates through the 

 inserted cions, which get larger from 

 year to year, the effect of the loss 

 of bark by girdling is at least par- 

 tially remedied. 



137. Grafting materials. In 

 grafting it is necessary to protect 

 the injured tissues by some coating or wrapping which 

 will prevent drying out and keep out organisms which 

 cause decay. In early days (and to some extent at the 

 present time in Europe) mixtures of clay and cow manure 

 were applied to grafts. Grafting-wax, however, has for a 



FIG. 60. Bridge- 

 graft showing ci- 

 ons inserted. 



