Some other frequently employed methods are: (1) Bridge-grafting, which is used for saving young trees that have been girdled by mice or rabbits or otherwise deprived of their bark. The edges of the injured surface are trimmed above and below, and scions, with wedge-shaped ends, are fitted beneath the bark at each of these points. The whole is then cov ered with wax. Any sprouts that appear are rubbed off so as to force all growth into the stem. The scions soon unite upon their sides as well as to the original trunk. (2) Veneer grafting, which is widely used in greenhouses, consists in inserting a scion upon the side of the stock, binding and protecting it from the air. The method is practised with both ripened and immature wood.
Protection from the air is gained in bud ding by bringing the bark of the stock in close contact with the scion and by bandages; in grafting, by applying a bunch of damp moss (a greenhouse practice) or covering of grafting wax, grafting clay, etc. (outdoor practice). One of the most popular waxes is made as follows : Melt and thoroughly mix together 3 pounds of mutton tallow, 5 of beeswax and 10 of resin; pour into cold water and work with the hands until the color of pulled molasses taffy. Apply closely while warm enough to spread readily by pressure of the hand. For use in whip-grafting balls of woolen yarn are soaked in melted wax and wound around the grafts. Soft waxes are less useful, since they are likely to melt on warm days and in warm climates. No horticul tural practice except that of cuttage can com pare with graftage in extent of usage and ap parent necessity. Like cuttage, its strong points are ease and certainty of operation, mainte nance of a variety ((true to type" with the com paratively rare exceptions of bud variation, and the modifications which it permits in the habits of plants. Some of the more important of these
las't are dwarfing, produced by grafting a strong growing scion upon a small growing stock, as pear upon quince; hastening or increasing fruit fulness, as when scions from bearing wood are top-grafted or budded upon young established trees already in the orchard; to counteract injuries (see bridge-grafting above) ; to change poor or unproductive trees into useful ones (see cleft-grafting above) ; to make possible the growing of certain trees upon uncongenial soils, as peaches budded upon plum stocks for heavy soils and plums upon peach stocks for light soils, etc.
Much popular misconception exists as to the limits of grafting. In many instances the possi bilities have been found wholly within the indi vidual species; that is, various different but re lated species fail to unite and grow. Generally, however, the limits are within the genus; for example, plums, peaches, cherries, apricots, etc., readily thrive upon one another. Again there are a few instances of different genera which unite, as among cacti. Genera are, however, arbitrary, man-made groups. Permanent unions between oaks and roses, grapes and pears, and similar widely separated plants have not been reported by reputable horticulturists. Consult Bailey, (Cyclopedia of American Horticulture' (New York 1900-02) ; id., (Nursery Book' (id., 1896) ; Fuller,