I08 GRAFT AGE. 



used in all ordinary cases, but in maples and some other 

 trees, older wood may be used. In the grafting of peaches — 

 which is very rarely done — the best cions are supposed to 

 be those which bear a small portion of two-year-old 

 wood at the lower end. This portion of old wood 

 probably serves no other purpose than a mechanical 

 one, as the recent wood is soft and pithy. It is a 

 common opinion that cions are worthless if cut dur- 

 ing freezing weather, but this is unfounded. The 

 cions are stored in sand, moss or sawdust in a cool 

 cellar, or they may be buried in a sandy place. Or 

 sometimes, when a few are wanted for top-grafting, 

 they are thrust into the ground beside the tree into 

 which they are to be set the following spring. If 

 the cions are likely to start before the spring graft- 

 ing can be done, they may be placed in an ice 

 Cion of house. Only well-formed and mature buds 

 ■whip-graft should be used. Sometimes flower-buds are 



(XI.) 



inserted for the purpose of fruiting a new or 

 rare variety the following year,, but unless particular 

 pains is taken to nurse such a cion, it is apt to give 

 only very indifferent results. 



Whip-grafting. — Whip or tongue-grafting is em- 

 ployed only on small stocks, usually upon those one 

 or two years old. Both the cion and stock are cut 

 across diagonally, the cut surface extending from i 

 to 2 inches, according to the size of the part. A 

 vertical cleft is then made in both, and the two are 

 joined by shoving the tongue of the cion into the cleft 

 of the stock. The operation can be understood 

 by reference to Figs. loi, 102 and 103. Fig. loi 

 shows the end of a cion, cut natural size. The 

 stock is cut in the same manner, and the two are 

 joined in Figs. 102 and 103. The parts are held 

 firmly by a bandage — as bass bark or raffia — passed li^U. 

 five or six times around them. If the graft is to stand g''<ift in 

 above ground, the wound must be 'protected by (x>^). 



