542 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



differs from the previous system in that the graft on vivifying com- 

 mences immediatly to shoot, whereas that grafted whilst sleeping does 

 not commence to move until the following spring. The system may 

 begin to be adopted from the end of August till about the middle of 

 October. 



A successful result greatly depends on the intelligence, skill, and care 

 of the grafter, as also on other conditions that may be possessed by him. 

 The young shoots to be grafted are frequently spoilt by workmen whose 

 hands perspire copiously, and the same also occurs from bad breath 

 either from disordered stomach or smoking to any extent, in the cases 

 where the grafter is accustomed to hold the ingrafted shoots and buds 

 between the teeth whilst preparing the patron. 



The object of the ligatures is to subject and fasten the graft to the 

 parent tree, and those are best which possess sufficient elasticity not to 

 either tighten or loosen too much, as also suffer but little from atmos- 

 pheric influences, and further they should be of slight cost and easy ac- 

 quirement, preference being given to those belonging to the animal 

 kingdom, such as raw and carded wool, worsted, silk, or horse hair. Of 

 the vegetable kingdom the following are best: hemp, flax, esparto, 

 enea, reed-mace, various flexible barks, and the leaves of certain trees 

 possessing the same property. 



With the graftings it is necessary that the cuts and wounds in the 

 ■patron should be properly covered and protected with substances suit- 

 able for said purpose, and which ought to combine the advantages of 

 slight cost, easy manipulation, shortness in preparation, duration, and 

 X^erfect protection. The materials most generally employed are the fol- 

 lowing : Grafter's clay, which is of ancient use, and is composed of two- 

 third parts of clayey soil and one-third of cow dung, well mixed to- 

 gether ; and to this are sometimes added dry herbs chopped very fine, 

 and by some a small portion of salt, is also employed in the mixture. 

 Softened pitch is also made use of, not alone, as it would dry and peel 

 off', but melted with a corresponding quantity of wax or tallow, or of 

 resin and tallow, to which is added red earth or brick-dust. 



A good receipt for this mixture is as follows : 



EUos. 



Resin 1.250 



Pitch 0.750 



Tallow 0.250 



Earth 1.500 



This composition should be applied tepid, but not very warm, as in 

 this case it would injure the plant. 



When a good variety has been obtained from seed, it is so subject to 

 injury or loss from any casualty that the plants are generally grafted in 

 order to preserve them. When the cultivator wishes robust and bushy 

 trees of long vitality, the grafting is done with trees of the same species, 

 but should he wish to obtain trees less robust and either of medium 

 size or dwarf, he does this (although at the expense of obtaining a tree 



