84 



OF GRAFTING. 



SECT. VII, 



off flopewife, oppofite to this place, leave the top, or 

 the crown of the ftock, about half an inch wide. 



Then cleave the ftock with a ftrong knife, or thin 

 lharp chifel, about two inches deep, as near the mid- 

 dle as poflible, fo as not to divide the pith, and if any 

 roughnefs appears in the flit, fmooth it off with a 

 pen-knife ; but fomething of the wedge kind muft be 

 put into the flit to keep it open to receive the cion, 

 leaving proper room to put it in. Cut the cion on 

 each fide to the form of a wedge at bottom, an inch 

 or more long, making that fide which is to be placed 

 inwards in the ftock, thinner by about one third. Put 

 the cion in, fo that its bark, and that of the Jioch be 

 level : and if the bark of the ftock be thick, let the 

 bark of the cion fink in a trifle, as the current of fap 

 that unites them, runs betwixt the bark and woodr- The 

 cion being placed, take the wedge out that kept the 

 ftock open; yet if the ftock be fo ftrong as to pinch 

 the cion too hard, eafe it by a little bit of dry wood to 

 be left in the cleft ; fo, however, as not to loofen the 

 graff, which muft be held firmly : or if the ftock be 

 very ftrong, the wedge of the cion may be nearly of 

 equal thicknefs, infide and out, which eafes the barked 

 part. 



The graff muft be nicely whipped round with vet 

 bafs pulled tight, and the whole clayed over to an inch 

 above and halt an inch below, fmoothing it off taper, 

 with a trowel, or knife, dipped in water. And as this 

 is done with a view to keep out wet, fun and air, if the 

 clay falls off, or cracks, it muft be immediately re- 

 paired, till the feafon comes to take off the bandage, 

 which is about Midfummer, or rather fooner : yet at 

 this time fome clay mould be ftill kept on the top, to 

 fecure the cleft from wet, and fo continued till the 

 cleft is grown up. 



If it is defired to put in two cions, to form a tree for 

 the wall, or efpalier, there fhould be two clefts paral- 

 lel to one another, one on each fide the pith. Some 



