
88 | THE FLORIST. 
It is necessary to explain, that in grafting it is not the two surfaces 
of scion and stock that unite: it is by a soft substance which protrudes 
from between the wood and the inner bark of scion and stock, that a 
vital union is formed. It is this substance issuing from stock and scion 
which grows together; for the woods of the respective parts already 
formed, never do so. 
In performing the operation, cut the scion in a slanting direction, and 
so as to be quite thin at the lower end. The stand may be about two 
inches and a half long. Then cut a slice off the stock, so that the inner 
barks of stock and scion may fit each other when placed together. 
Next make a cut a little downwards in the stock, and a similar one 
upwards in the scion, so as to form a tongue to fit into the cut made in 
the stock. These cuts should be made near the upper part of the 
slope of the scion, and almost close to the top of the sliced-off part of 
the stock. When properly fitted, the stock and scion should be tied 
with matting, and surrounded with grafting clay. When the graft has 
pushed a shoot, the matting should be loosened; otherwise it will cut 
into the graft as the latter increases in thickness. When loosened, the 
graft should be retied, but not very tightly. 
If the stocks are strong, the graft will make a vigorous shoot in the 
course of the summer, and may be planted in autumn; or it may be 
allowed to grow for another season. But, whether removed or not, the 
plants should be reared with good stems—such as will support their 
own weight without bending, although more than six feet long. Instead 
of this, young standard trees are frequently seen as slender and flexible 
as fishing rods: this is owing to the stems being stripped of foliage as 
they are being reared. It should be recollected that the substances of 
all the solid parts of a tree come through the leaves: the substance of 
all the timbers of a man-of-war passed at one time or other through 
green leaves. If we wish to have a stout stem in a short time, we can 
only obtain it by encouraging plenty of healthy leaves. These should be 
allowed to grow all along the upright young shoot from the graft, in 
the first season. They will, of course, drop in autumn, but each will 
leave a bud, and next spring many of these buds will push into shoots, 
if they are not rubbed off, as is the bad practice of some persons. 
Instead of so doing, the side shoots which push from the stem should be 
allowed to grow till the end of July, and then their ends may be pinched 
off. These shoots will bear foliage that will contribute to the thickening 
of the stem ; and this, rendering it self-supporting, is a very important 
object. But this is not all that results from allowing young shoots and 
leaves to grow along the stem; for, if there are many leaves, there will 
be many roots, and with plenty of the latter, the tree’ soon -attains a 
large size. Having obtained a stout stem, it must, for a standard tree, 
be ultimately rendered clear of branches to the height of at least six 
feet; therefore all side growths must be done away with,sas soon as 
they can be spared from doing their duty in assisting to strengthen the 
stem and roots. Therefore, when the tree makes shoots to bear a con- 
siderable amount of foliage above the height of six feet, the lower 
branches on the stem should be first cut off; and those left should be 
reduced by shortening. In the following autumn, the stem should be 
