STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 105 



the way I have described for smaller trees. This should he doue early in the season, 

 and the earth banked up around the tree, where it ought to remain until the foUowing 

 spring, when the earth may be leveled. 



SELECTING GRAFTS FOR THE NURSERY. 



Each mature leaf bud of any of our fruit trees contains an embryo branch with a 

 number of leaves. These microscropic branches with their germ leaves, are formed 

 during the growing season and winter in the buds . If we carefully observe these germ 

 branches taken from diflerent parts of the trees, we shall find that they will vary 

 greatly in several quite essential particulars, viz. : germ branches are largest, and are 

 supplied with the greatest number of embryo leaves in those buds which occur on 

 shoots, the leaves of which in the season of the tree's growth were most exposed to 

 sunlight and air. Except in very young trees, it may be stated as a rule, that trees 

 which are not severely pruned, nor more highly stimulated than they were in the preced- 

 ing year, unfold only their germ branches and leaves that were formed the previous 

 season, and wintered in the bud. But when trees are more highly stimulated one year 

 than they were in the preceding year, or are severely pruned, then the vegetable 

 forces, from being greatly increased, or by being concentrated, unfold the tenninal or 

 other strong buds of the current year, thereby virtually making the branch and leaf 

 growth of two seasons in one. This will be better understood when it is explained 

 that, not only is the number of branches and leaves that a tree puts forth one year, 

 established and provided for in the previous year; but in addition to this , each indi- 

 vidual cell of which leaves are composed, exists in the bud. No process of stimulating 

 or concentration of forces can add a leaf or an individual cell to a leaf that did not exist 

 in the bud, as formed in the previous year. But when these previously formed parts 

 of a tree are fully expanded, and au excess ot vigor remains, then the buds of the 

 cui-rent year's growth are unfolded, producing the growth which under normal condi- 

 tions would have remained dormant in the bud until the following year. A knowl- 

 edge of the facts, as herein stated, will aid the horticulturist in many ways. I will 

 cite one or two examples, viz. : It may be necessary to cut scions for grafting in the 

 nursery. In this case, the best grafts will be taken from those branches, the leaves of 

 which grew under full exposure of sunlight and air; because on these branches the 

 buds are the strongest, that is, they contain the greatest number of germ leaves. 

 Hence, when these are all imfolded, the length and strength of the branch will be in 

 proportion to the number of leaves the branch shall develop into full grown ones. 

 Therefore, grafts selected by this rule, other conditions being equal, will universally 

 produce trees that will be quite uniform in height and strength. See No. 1. If it be 

 desirable to use all the grafts on a tree, then it will be well to select those that are next 

 best; these will produce trees of medium height. No. 2. "We now have left those 

 smaller branches grown in the interior of the heads of the trees. These for reasons 

 before stated, will have buds, the germ branches in which will be slender and 

 short; that is, they have but lew leaves to unfold. When these are used for grafts, the 

 shoots from them wiU be much weaker than either of the two preceding selections. 

 See No. 3. Each selection of grafts must be planted by themselves. In this way, 

 other conditions being equal, the trees grown from these three selections will vary in 

 size, just in proportion as the germs in the buds, from which they emanate, were 



