330 



D'ALBRET'S VARIETIES 



spring from the steins of grafted trees should be checked as soon as they 

 make their appearance, if the stock is small ; but with large subjects it 

 is different. In these some shoots must be left near the graft, in order 

 to draw up the sap, which, in large trees, is sluggish, and difficult to 

 move without them; but as soon as the sap moves freely they also 

 should be headed back, the effect of which wUl immediately become 

 visible in the rapid growth of the scions. 



Cleft Grafting with one Scion, the Stock cut Sloping (Fig. LTII.). — 

 This is one of the most usual modes of propagating many woody plants. 

 The stock is prepared as indicated by the figure. The lower part of the 

 scion, a, should be made thin by slicing 

 off a portion from each side, and forming 

 a small shoulder at the top of the slope, 

 as near as possible to which there should 

 be an eye ; the side of the scion on which 

 the bark is left should be broader and 

 longer than the opposite side, by one- 

 fourth, one-third, or more, according as 

 the stocks are large or small. For the 

 latter, the inside of the scion should be 

 cut very thin, with a short slope ; and 

 when intended for large stocks, the same 

 side should be left fuller, so that the scions 

 may better resist the pressure to which 

 they may be subjected when they are in- 

 troduced into the cleft. We usually leave 

 two eyes to the scion, but the second 

 is often superfluous ; for the one nearest 

 the small shoulder has an immense advan- 

 tage in this respect, that when the scion 

 is introduced, as is represented at J, it 

 is close to the top of the stock, and as 

 soon as it begins to grow, it rapidly co- 

 operates in healing over the wound of the 

 stock. The cleft to receive the scion should 

 be prepared as follows, by means of a strong knife, or preferably by a 

 sort of cleaver and small mallet. The instrument should be placed 

 across the section of the stock, and driven in so as to split the bark 

 before the wood ; always taking care that the cleft extend but little, if 

 at all, to the bark at the lower part of the slope, on the opposite side ; 

 and on the side where the scion is to be inserted it ought to be, at first, 

 shorter than the wedge-shaped portion of the graft. This being done, 

 the instrument is easily knocked out by a stroke or two of the mallet, 

 thus avoiding any kind of twisting. The wedge-shaped handle of the 

 cleaver is next introduced slightly into the cleft, so as to keep it suffi- 



