83 



THE ART OF 



an angular groove, corresponding to the triangular face of the 

 scion. It is then bandaged, and the cuts are covered with 

 grafting-wax. The preliminary operations are performed with 

 a fine-edged pruning-knife and the ordinary grafting-knife ; 

 but greater rapidity and precision are secured by the use of 

 the combined grafting-knife. Both ends of the tool are 



Inlaying with the combined Grafting-knife. 



sharpened and set at the same angle, which gives a mathema- 

 tical accuracy to the operation. It is immaterial whether the 

 angle be rectilineal or curvilineal; the essential point is that it 

 be identical in both parts of the implement. With common 

 tools a groove with a blunt or square outline is often made ; or 

 it may have the contour of a trapezium, or any other figure ; 

 the only really important thing being that the scion be cut to 



