MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &c. 133 



but in standard trees, four, or at most«6ix, cions will be suf- 

 ficient. 



In the choice of young stocks for grafting, you should al- 

 ways prefer such as have been raised from the seed, and that 

 have been once or twice transplanted. 



Next to these, are those stocks which have been raised 

 from cuttings, or layers ; but those which are suckers from 

 the roots of other trees should always be rejected ; for these 

 are never so well rooted as the others, and constantly put out 

 a great number of suckers from their roots, whereby the bor- 

 ders and walks of the garden will be always pestered during 

 the summer season ; these are not only unsightly, but they 

 also take off part of the nourishment from the trees. 



If these stocks have been allowed a proper distance in the 

 nursery where they have grown, the wood will be better ripen- 

 ed, and more compact, than those which have grown close, 

 and have been there drawn up to a greater height ; the wood 

 of these will be soft, and their vessels large ; so that the cions 

 grafted into them will shoot very strong ; but they will be less 

 disposed to produce fruit than the other ; and v/hen trees ac- 

 quire an ill habit at first it will be very difficult to reclaim them 

 afterward. 



Having directed the choice of cions and stocks, we come 

 next to the operation ; in order to which you must be provided 

 with the following tools : 



1. A neat small hand-saw, for cutting off the heads of 

 large stocks. 



2. A good strong knife, with a thick back, to make clefts 

 in the stocks. 



3. A sharp pen-knife, or budding-knife, to cut the grafts. 



4. A grafting chisel and a small mallet. 



5. Bass strings, or woollen yarn, to tie the grafts with ; 

 and such other instruments and materials as you should find 

 necessary, according to the sort of grafting which you are to 

 perform. 



6. A quantity of clay, which should be prepared a month 

 before it is used, and kept turned and mixed, like mortar, 

 every other day : This is to be made in the following man- 

 ner. 



Get a quantity of strong fat Ioa«i (in proportion to the 

 quantities of trees intended to be grafted) ; then take some 

 new stone-horse dung, and break it in among the loam ; and if 

 you cut a little straw, or hay, very small, and mix amongst it, 

 the loam will hold together the better ; and if there be a quan- 

 tity of salt added, it will prevent the clay from dividing in dry 



T 



