70 



THE ART OF 



is detached with the grafting-knife from the branch on which 

 it grows, but so as to preserve a strip of bark (Y) above and 

 below the insertion of the branch ; the manner in which this 

 is done has been already described. The woody fibres under 

 the strip of bark (V) should not be removed; it would be 

 dangerous to do so, and the surface should be merely smoothed 

 down with the grafting -knife. On the stock (Y) a T-shaped 

 incision (Z) is made, which goes no deeper than the bark ; the 

 lips of this are raised with the spatula and the heel (Y) of the- 

 scion slipped under them. It is then bandaged with woollen 

 thread or bast matting, like an ordinary shield-bud or a short 

 branch-graft. It will be unnecessary to apply grafting-wax* 

 In the restoration of fruit-trees, we have sometimes employed, 

 under the name of scions, branches 20 inches long, with a 

 heel 4 inches in length. By cutting off their leaves a week 

 beforehand, and while they are still on the parent -tree,, 

 they are prepared for the separation. Covering them with 

 grafting- clay as soon as they are grafted will prevent their 

 drying up. 



Treatment after Side-Grafting under the Bark. 

 In grafting with a dormant eye, with a view to propagation, 

 the particular treatment will consist in heading down the- 

 stock, after winter, to four inches above the graft, and immedi- 

 ately tying up the top of the woody scion quite erect, in order 

 to avoid a knee or bend at the graft. The first process (with 

 a simple branch) when employed for purposes of restoration, 

 does not require the amputation of the stock ; but, in order to- 

 hasten the development of the graft, a notch is cut in the- 

 stock, about a quarter of an inch above the graft, in spring. 

 The notch, in form of a crescent, about half an inch broad, is 

 made with two cuts of the pruning-knife in the bark. An 

 example of a similar operation has already been given. At 



