76 THE NUT CULTUKIST. 



neatly fitted together, the tongue on one entering the cleft 

 oil the other, making a close- joint, as shown in Pig. 14. 

 The bark of the eion and stock should be exactly even on 

 one side at least ; and if they are of the same size, so 

 much the better, for then they will be even on both sides ; 

 but we cannot expect to secure such perfect joints on 

 every stock, or any considerable number, although we 

 aim to do so as frequently as possible. When the cion 

 is fitted, the waxed paper is applied by placing one end 

 of the strip at or near the base of the splice, then wind 

 it spirally and firmly upward until the entire wound is 

 covered. If one of the waxed strips is not enough use 

 another, for it will do no harm if they are double on a 

 part or all over the joint. The cion should not be much 

 over four inches long, and a less length is preferable, 

 but not so convenient for handling. One good prom- 

 inent bud on each cion is sufficient, and this left near 

 the upper end, but on short-jointed wood we may use 

 cions with two or more buds without greatly increasing 

 their length. After the cion is in place and every part 

 of the splice is carefully sealed with the waxed paper, 

 place a small piece or a little wax on the upper end of 

 the cion, just enough to cover the exposed wound and 

 prevent evaporation of the natural moisture or sap in 

 the wood. I have found, in practice, that this sealing 

 the end of the cion is time well spent ; in fact, to leave 

 any of the wood cells exposed to the air endangers the 

 success of the operation. 



Young shoots from a quarter of an inch in diame- 

 ter up to five-eighths may be used for cions, in splice 

 grafting ; and with a little care in the selection of stocks, 

 or by cutting them off a few inches higher or lower, we 

 may readily manage to have them nearly of the same 

 diameter to match our cions, whether they are large or 

 small, and such unions will soon heal over, leaving no 

 scar at the point where the two have been joined. 



