GRAFTING. 



78 



firmly in its place, bind it closely with the cloth cov- 

 ered Avith the composition. It is the neatest, most ex- 

 expeditious, and most successful mode of grafting, where 

 the stocks are of the proper size. Stocks, three-fourths 

 of an inch in diameter, or even an inch, may be grafted 

 in this way, but for inch stocks cleft grafting is prefer- 

 able. 



Cleft Crrafting is the more common mode. It may 

 be practised on large or small stocks, but for the 

 latter whip-grafting only should be employed. 

 The top of the stock is cut off carefully with a 

 fine saw, and pared smoothly with a sharp knife. 

 The stock is then split with the grafting-knife, 

 and held open with the chisel of the same. A 

 common knife will answer for splitting, and the 

 Cleft Graft ^^^^^ ^^^7 kept Open for insertion with a wood- 

 LVG. en wedge or a large nail of which the point has 

 been ground down to a wedge shape. Sharpen the scion one 

 and a-half inches long, more or less, according to its size and 

 that of the split in the stock, cutting the lower part into a 

 smooth wedge. The exterior side of the scion Avhen sharp- 

 ened should be slightly thicker than the other, that it may 

 be sure to make a close fit there. Let the scion have 

 two or more buds, of which one should be on the wedge 

 and inserted just below the top of the stock. This often 

 grows when the others fail. The main point is that 

 the inside bark of the scion and that of the stock should 

 exactly correspond at least in one place. To effect 

 this, it is usual to set the scion so that its extremity 

 falls a little without th^ line made by the continuation 

 of the stock on the side in which it is inserted. One 

 or two scions are set in the stock according to its size ; 

 the wedge is then withdrawn, and the whole carefully 

 4 



