THE CHESTNUT. 



75 



and pear; consequently, better and more careful han- 

 dling is required to insure si^ccess. 



When ready to begin operations in the field, take 

 out a quantity of the shoots to be used for cions, and 

 keep Miem wrapped in damp cloth or 

 packed in a box, basket or other recep- 

 ■ tacle with wet moss, to prevent drying. 

 If any considerable number of stocks are 

 to be grafted, then an assistant or two 

 will be required, for the grafter cannot 

 be alternately handling the 

 knife and cions and wax, and 

 do good work, but if he only 

 inserts the cions and his as- 

 sistant applies the waxed lig- 

 atures, tlie operation will pro- 

 ceed more rapidly and satis- 

 factorily. 



Modes of Grafting. — 

 The only two modes of graft- 

 ing that I shall recommend 

 for the chestnut are the splice 

 or whip graft, and the cleft 

 or wedge graft. In the splice 

 graft, the cion and stock 

 should be of about the same 

 FIG. 13. diameter, but if there is any 

 sPLicB GRAFT, differcuce^let it be in favor of 

 the stock, and this the largest. In this 

 mode of grafting, the stock is cut ofE with 

 an upward slope, exposing two or three fig. u. splice 

 inches of wood ; and ahout midway on graft iksbkted. 

 this slope a small cleft or incision is made, forming 

 what is called a "tongue." The cion is then cut in the 

 same way from the upper end downward, with a corre- 

 sponding incision, as seen in Fig. 13. Then the two are 



