THE PROPAGATION OP PLANTS 141 



always do so. Among the stone fruits, the plum will 

 unite with the peach, or either of these will unite with 

 the apricot. Among the fruits which form seeds, as the 

 apple, the quince will unite with the pear. The apple 

 will unite with crabapple and with the different varieties 

 of large apples, but it is only in very rare cases that it 

 will unite with any other plant than these. 



Grafting may be done on mature trees as well as on 

 young ones but we use a different graft. This will be 

 shown in the next exercise. 



EXERCISE 40 



Object. — • To show how the character of a grown tree 

 may be changed, or how several varieties of fruit may be 

 grown on the same tree. 



Procedure. — Secure a smooth, straight piece of the limb 

 of an apple tree about the size of a broom stick and from 

 eight to ten inches in length; some twigs from bearing 

 apple trees, such as were used in Exercise 39 ; and a ball 

 of the wax used in that exercise. Before this wax is 

 handled, the hands should be rubbed with tallow to pre- 

 vent the wax from sticking to them. 



SpUt the end of the limb down about one and one half 

 inches, using a piece of wood as a mallet and a knife blade 

 as a chisel. Cut two of the twigs to a length of about six 

 inches and wedge-shaped at the larger end. Thrust one 

 of these sharpened twigs into either side of the cleft in 

 the larger piece, making sure that the outside of the limb 

 and the outside of the twig are flush, or even. Cover the 

 wound and exposed parts with wax so that neither water 

 nor fungi can enter and cause rot. 



Conclusion. — Describe in your own words just how this 

 graft is made, or make a drawing that will show it clearly. 



