THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



377 



cut the gi-afts with ; and a grafting-cliiscl and small mallet. 

 Other sorts of instruments are sometimes necessary in per- 

 forming particular sorts of grafting. 



Besides these tools, other sorts of materials are wanted in 

 pcrforining the business, such as bass-strings, to tie the grafts 

 with, which should be selected from a fresh new mat, and 

 a quantity of good tough clay, which should be prepared a 

 month before it is wanted, and kept turned and mixed, like 

 mortar, every other day, in the following manner : 



A quantity of strong good clay, in proportion to the quan- 

 tity of trees intended to be grafted, should be provided, and 

 some new horse-dung broken in among it ; and if a little cut 

 straw or hay be mixed amongst it, it will hold together the 

 better. These sliould be well stirred together, putting water 

 to them occasionally, in the manner of making mortar. The 

 whole should be hollowed like a dish, filled with water, and 

 kept every other day stirred. It should be carefully kept 

 from being exposed to frost or drying winds ; and the oftener 

 it is wrought over the better. 



The grafting-clay of the French and Dutch is composed of 

 half cow-dung, free from litter, and half fresh loam, well in- 

 corporated. Several substitutes have been recommended for 

 clay ; for fruit-trees, however, there is not any thing better 

 than clay, which has been so long in use. The others are 

 used for grafting tender exotics, whose tender frames would 

 be liable to be broken by the weight of clay necessary for the 

 exclusion of air and moisture, which is all that the clay or any 

 other substitute is used for. Whatever sort of clay is used, 

 it is of the utmost importance, that it be used as soon as pos- 

 sible after the scion is put on, to prevent the extravasation of 

 the sap from the wounds, the too sudden drying of the wood, 

 and the introduction of rain-water into the wound or cleft; 

 and whenever it is damaged by drying too soon, or other acci- 

 dents, it should be instantly repaired. In very dry springs, 

 or when the clay is not very tenacious, or any particular sort 

 of gi'aft, to avoid accidents, or failure, it is advisable to cover 

 the clay with moss tied on in a neat manner, and to give 

 frequent waterings, either with the garden-engine, or watering- 

 pot with a fine rose. AVhen the grafts are put on near the 



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