74: THE NUT CULTUKIST. 



Other kinds of grafting wax can, of course, be used, 

 and are usually procurable at the seed stores or made at 

 home, and I have given their composition and the formu- 

 las for their manufacture in my work, " The Propagation 

 of Plants ;" but, as I have already said, this old standard 

 kind of wax is just as good as any other, although a little 

 more troublesome to use on account of its sticky consist- 

 ency. EafBa or bass may be employed as ligatures for 

 holding the cions in place, then covered with Leport's 

 or other kinds of liquid grafting wax ; but when these 

 are employed it will be necessary to examine the grafted 

 trees frequently, in order to cut the ligatures to prevent 

 girdling. 



The best implement for grafting is a common broad- 

 blade pocket knife. One with a blade three to three 

 and a half inches long and three-fourths of an inch wide, 

 is a handy size. It should be of the best material for 

 grafting chestnuts, because the wood of this tree is 

 coarse-grained, and so filled with siliceous matter that it 

 soon dulls the keenest blade, and the grafter will, of 

 necessity, have to use his whetstone frequently. In 

 grinding the knife-blade have the sides a true level, from 

 the back to the edge, especially the underside when to be 

 held in the right hand with the edge towards the body. 

 The importance of having a blade of this form will soon 

 become apparent when the grafter attempts to make a 

 true slopingcut on either stock or cion, and it would be 

 well for the novice to practice for an hour or two in 

 splicing some worthless twigs before commencing upon 

 more valuable material, for- even an expert workman is 

 very likely to make some awkward dissections and joints 

 when out of practice. The professional propagator of 

 pjants may think such details are unimportant, but I 

 wish to impress upon the amateur that in grafting nut 

 trees we are dealing with kinds that will not respond 

 satisfactorily to such free manipulations as the apple 



