27 



without any growth whatever on them. Of course there must be dormant 

 buds, or eyes, on th em. The pieces of bark may vary in length and width ac- 

 cording to size of trunk or limb on which they are int ei ded to been grafted. 

 The most convenient size to use is a piece about twice the length of 

 the width, and if taken off where rings exist, so that the ring is aoross 

 the centre of the section, there will be two or three latent buds near 

 the ring. The rings on the trunk and limbs denote the exact number 

 of growths and rests the trees has made. At the point of every new- 

 growth, while resting, there is a whorl of leaves, and at the base of 

 every leaf there is a bud which is capable of becoming a tree, and 

 whether it is used for grafting during its infancy or ten years after- 

 waid«, it will develop with proper treatment. The older the bark, 

 the easier it is to remove, and it is much handier to trim into shape. 

 First cut out the section for transplanting, and, should the edges be 

 bruised or torn, cut them away to sound bark. Now press the piece 

 firmly on to the spot where it is intended to grow, and make a clean 

 cut all round. Next take out the bark inside the mark, and put the 

 prepared section in its place. Do not make it fit so lightly that it 

 has to be squeezed in, but make it a Lice fit. Now bind it on with 

 the candle cotton with just sufficient pressure to make it touch its 

 new parent. Avoid, if possible, binding immediately over the buds. 

 The old notion that all air must re excluded to effect a union is a 

 delusion so far as grafting a mango is concerned. There is no necessity 

 for clay, grafting wax, or any other nasty stuff to ensure a good union 

 but just the candle cotton. Now it may be that a section of bark has 

 been prepared for transplanting which is much thicker than the piece 

 taken out. Well, never mind; tie it on, and it will grow, although 

 it is not a comfortable fit. Should the weather be hot and dry when the 

 grafting is being done, the top may be left on the tree for shade, but 

 it must be thoroughly ringbarked 6 or 8 ii ches above the graft. In 

 two or three weeks' time cut the top off at the spot where it was ring- 

 barked, and if the buds on the graft have started into growth remove 

 the binding. All young shoots, except those on the grafts, must be 

 rubbed off as soon as they appear. When a vigorous mango tree is 

 suddenly deprived of all its leaves and the majority of its limbs, it 

 immediately sets to work to repair the damages. Its ordinary means 

 of utilising the sap being removed, it makes determined efforts to re- 

 place them. Every dormant bud will rapidly spring into growth, 

 and while these are coming on, the trunk and remaining limbs will 

 swell out to a surprising degree, this being the only means of using 

 up the sap which the undisturbed roots are still pumping up At 

 this stage the tree is highly impregnated with sap, and will take 

 kindly to almost any shape or sized pieces of bark that may be put on 

 it. When a piece of bark is removed while the tree is in this condi- 

 tion, the sap will pour into the breach, and a union with the bark in- 

 troduced is soon effected. 



^ When the young shoots which have sprung from the grafts have 

 ripened, the old wood projecting bevond the graft should be sawn off 

 close at the base of the new growth. As th^ new wood continues to 

 grow, it will cover up the entire end where it was sawn off, making 

 very neat work of it. In the mango the term a " ripened" shoot ap- 

 plies when the leaves and bark of the latter have taken their full 



