Take great care that the knife handle does not penetrate beneath the inner bark, but press it against the latter, slipping it along. When the bark is sufficiently raised, carefully insert the bud beneath, taking hold of it by the remaining portion of the leaf stalk. It must not be forced down, but introduced as gently as can be, otherwise there will be danger of injuring the vital cambium layer, where the union is effected. Afterwards tie the bud around with matting, to keep it in position and to prevent the entrance of air. Tie both above and below the "eye," leaving this of course free. An excellent indication as to whether or not the bud has taken is afforded by the petiole (leaf stalk). If this, a few weeks afterwards, falls completely away, one may be fairly certain that the bud has taken; if, on the other hand, it withers away, one may be almost equally sure that the operation has not been successful. The buds that have taken will commence to grow in the following spring, and then the stocks must be cut back to within a few inches of where the buds are inserted. Many nurserymen, if they find that the bud has not taken, graft the same stock in the following spring, instead of waiting to bud again in summer. _Grafting_ consists in so attaching one shoot to another that they unite and grow together. There are many different methods of grafting, but that most usually employed in the grafting of pear trees is tongue or splice grafting. This is done in the month of March, with firm growth of the preceding year. First cut the stock in a sloping direction, and so that the cut may terminate just above a bud if possible. "Great care must be taken that the scions fit the stocks," is the recommendation of one of our large nursery growers of pear trees, and one that should be closely followed. Therefore choose a graft as nearly as possible of the same size as the stock. Having cut the graft to a suitable length, say nine or ten inches, cut the lower end (that is, the thicker one) exactly as the top of the stock was cut, so that when placed together they will properly fit upon each other. The essential point is, of course, to make sure that the inner bark of the one coincides with the inner bark of the other, as then the cambium layers will also coincide. The graft should be carefully and securely tied on to the stock with raffia, and then covered over with either clay or grafting wax, so as effectually to prevent the entrance of air. It is advisable to place moss over the clay, so that in dry weather this can be watered to prevent the clay from becoming dry. Unless there were a covering of some material capable of holding moisture, it would be impossible to keep the clay in anything like a moist condition. When it is seen that the graft commences to grow freely, the clay may be partly removed so as to allow of the ligatures being loosened. It is wise to tie the graft to a stake attached to the