Hickories in full foliage may usually be cut back without evident harm. Occasionally a tree will be apparently shocked to death. Sometimes when a tree in foliage is cut back severely the remaining leaves will turn black and partly, or completely, die, but the tree will throw out vigorous new growth later. Trees up to three inches in diameter may have the whole top cut off, at the risk of occasionally shocking a tree to death. Such complete cutting back must be done in the dormant season or there will be severe and prolonged bleeding. This method has the advantage of forcing a tremendous growth in the grafts which will need careful support. This is much more easily done however, than when the grafts are in the top of the tree. Cutting back in the dormant season and painting with paraffine has not worked well for me as the paraffine has not adhered well for any length of time to the freshly cut surfaces. Probably this could be easily remedied if it were a real advantage. In the case of small stocks and branches where there is no bleeding and the paraffine adheres well green callus will often be seen spreading out beneath the paraffine over the cut surface. Stocks should be vigorous. Dwarfed, stunted, submerged, hide bound trees make poor stocks. This is important, I believe. _Scions_ The condition of the scion is the most important element for success in top-working hickory trees. The technique of grafting has been so simplified as to make it fairly easy, and native stocks are usually vigorous. But unless the scions have full vitality success will be limited. They should be plump and not pithy. A limited success is possible with scions of feeble growth, or those subjected to devitalising influences in keeping or handling, but the largest success will be had with well grown scions, cut from vigorous trees or grafts, whose buds are completely dormant, and have a fresh, green appearance on cutting. When the cambium layer shows a yellowish or brownish tint the scions are useless. Slender wood may make good scions but is more difficult to keep in good condition. Heavy wood from vigorous, young, grafted trees, or from cut back trees, makes the best scions and is the easiest to keep. Wood more than 1 year old and as large as one can handle makes good scions. Dr. Morris, with the use of the plane, has succeeded with astonishingly large scions and even branches. Sometimes buds are absent from these large scions or are very inconspicuous. They may be searched for with a lens. Preferably scions should be cut when entirely dormant. Buds that show signs of breaking should be removed. Scions cut after growth starts may be used with success if there are dormant buds. This "immediate grafting," as Dr. Morris calls it has not been fully studied. It may be of great value. It is quite successful with the apple and the pear. It appears to depend chiefly on the presence of dormant buds of vitality.