THE PEOPAGATION OP FRUIT TREES. 11 



tion formed by melting together three pounds of resm, a pound 

 and a quarter of laid and a pound and a half of heeswax. The 

 balls are taken out while hot and allowed to drain, and when 

 cool are ready for use. The graft is taken in one hand hy the 

 root, with the other the end of the string is laid on the lower end 

 of the lap of the scion, and hy twirling the graft in the fingers 

 the thread is wound tightly round both stock and scion at the 

 place of union sufficiently often to hold the parts together firmly,, 

 and then the thread is broken off. The wax holds the string in 

 place without any tying, while it also preserves the thread from 

 rotting untn the union is perfected, and the expansion of growth 

 causes it gradually to give way. 



By consulting the engravings this method of graftiag will be 

 readily understood. Figure 3, page 9, shows the sloping cut made 

 upon the stock and scion. Figure 4, page 1 0, shows the cleft made 

 in them to form the tongue. Figure 5 shows them put together. 

 Figure 6 shows the graft tied with a strip of bass-matting or 

 cotton cloth. Figure 7 shows the same covered with wax to 

 protect the Tinion from the weather, and Figure 8 shows the 

 graft neatly wound with a strip of waxed cotton or paper. 



The waxed cloth or paper is prepared by dipping the cloth 

 or paper into the same preparation as that in which the balls of 

 cotton yarn are boiled, when it is quite hot, and then drawing 

 the sheet between a couple of sticks, so as to scrape off the super- 

 fluous wax, and when cold, cutting it into strips of the required 

 width. Many use these strips in cleft-grafting, instead of the 

 pure wax. Sometimes when the cloth or paper is too strong, it 

 does not give way imder the growth of the tree, and requires to 

 be cut or removed, in order to prevent it from binding and injuring 

 the tree. 



Scions should be selected from healthy trees, and should be 

 cut from the thrifty, well ripened shoots of the last season's 

 growth. In this climate, it is safest to cut them in ^November, 

 before the severe frosts of winter. Sometimes the cold of the 

 winter is so severe that the young wood is injured. If not cut 



