234 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES. 



perishes from starvation. For similar reasons, when 

 a bud begins to grow, having firmly fixed itself upon 

 the stock, the latter should be headed back nearly as 

 far as the bud, so as to compel all the ascending cur- 

 rent of sap to flow towards it ; otherwise the buds of 

 the stock itself will obtain that food which the 

 stranger bud should be supplied with. 



In grafting also it is always found that a union be- 

 tween the scion and the stock takes place most readily 

 when the latter is headed down ; but this is not the only 

 point to attend to. The scion should always be so pre- 

 pared that a bud is near the point of union between 

 itself and the stock, because such a bud, as soon as it 

 begins to grow, proceeds to furnish wood which assists 

 in binding the two together. The scion should be more 

 backward in its vegetation than the stock, because 

 it will then be less excitable ; otherwise its buds may 

 begin to grow before a fitting communication is esta- 

 blished between the stock and scion, and the latter 

 will be exhausted by its own vigour : if, on the con- 

 trary, the stock is in the state of incipient growth, and 

 the scion torpid, granulations of cellular tissue will 

 have time to form and unite the wound, and the scion 

 will become distended with sap forced into it from 

 the stock, and thus be able to keep its buds alive 

 when they begin to shoot into branches. In order to 

 assist in this part of the operation, a " heel" is some- 

 times in difficult cases left on a scion, and inserted 

 into a vessel of water, until the union has taken 

 place ; or, for the same purpose, the scion is bound 

 round with loose string or linen with one end steeped 



