Whip-Grafting.--Whip or tongue-grafting is employed only on small stocks, usually upon those one or two years old. Both the cion and stock are cut across diagonally, the cut surface extending from one to two inches according to the size of the part. A vertical cleft is then made in both, and the two are joined by shoving the tongue of the cion into the cleft of the stock. The operation can be understood by reference to Figs. 69, 70 and 71. Fig. 69 shows the end of a cion, cut natural size. The stock is cut in the same manner, and the two are joined in Figs. 70 and 71. The parts are held firmly by a bandage passed five or six times around them. If the graft is to stand above ground, the wound must be protected by applying wax over the bandage. (Recipes for wax can be found at the end of this chapter.) [Illustration: Fig. 69. Whip-graft.] [Illustration: Fig. 70. Whip-graft in position.] Root-grafting, especially of fruit-stocks, is performed almost entirely by the whip-graft. This operation is performed in winter. The stocks, either one or two years old, are dug and stored in the fall. In January or February the grafting is begun. In true root-grafting, only pieces of roots are used, but some prefer to use the whole root and graft at the crown. In piece-root-grafting, from two to four trees are made from a single root. A piece of root from two to four inches long is used, as shown in Fig. 71. The parts are usually held by winding with waxed string or waxed bands. The string should be strong enough to hold the parts securely and yet weak enough to be broken without hurting the hands. No. 18 knitting cotton answers this purpose admirably. It should be bought in balls, which are allowed to stand for a few minutes in melted wax. The wax soon saturates the ball. Waxed bands are made by spreading melted wax over thin muslin, which is cut into narrow strips when dry. The string is the more useful for rapid work. The grafts are packed away in sand, moss or sawdust in a cool cellar until spring, when the two parts will be firmly callused together. Some propagators are now discarding all tying of root-grafts. The grafts are packed away snugly, and if the storage cellar is cool--not above 40°--they will knit together so that they can be planted without danger of breaking apart. If the cellar is warm the grafts will start into growth and be lost.