against a cross
bar nailed across the box two inches back of the doorway opening. No
bottom in the box but it has three cross bars nailed across inside to
hold all scionwood up two inches from the earth floor. Any scion that
touches the earth floor will either begin to grow or begin to rot. The
box is entirely buried two to three inches under the ground except over
the trap door. The spot must be perfectly drained. Over the box a space
about six feet wide by seven feet long is insulated from temperature
changes with straw packing to height, in center, of three feet and
protected from rain by a wood roof of boards, shingles, or prepared
roofing resembling, a little, the old wedge tent. To get into the box
burrow in under by pulling out the straw in front, but not too large a
tunnel, and far enough back to get at the trap door cover where it can
be slipped off and scions put in, the door replaced and all the straw
crowded back into place. Thereafter it is easy to slip the straw out and
back to get at the box. In any case the packing is always carefully
replaced, as the insulation of the earth near the box is of first
importance.

_Graft Box Air Conditions_

The small amount of moisture coming into the box from sides and earth
bottom, in ordinary conditions, seems to be very exactly balanced by the
very small amount of dry air that finds ingress to the box from outside
through the straw packing and the trap door, although after very long
wet spells, at whatever season of the year, it has been my practice to
bring all the scions out into the open air and allow both the scions
and the interior of box to dry out for as long as seems needful. The
reverse condition, that of too little moisture, I have never had to take
notice of. Occasionally a little white mold in box and on scions may
require a little open air treatment. No other condition seems to require
any special care. I do not know how much larger a box than I have used
would give equal satisfaction, for I have not demonstrated that feature,
but obviously there must be at some point a limiting factor between the
desired casualty of moisture and its opposite in the box. I am inclined
to think that a box of double that capacity could safely be used, but
advise that, where large amounts of scionwood are needed, more than one
box be used until a test has been made with less valuable wood to find
the size limit.

* * * * *

DR. SMITH: Yo