REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 293 



rows and can be cultivated in any direction. The trees should 

 be set where the stakes are placed, in blocks, each variety by 

 itself. 



GRAFTING. 



We would use the form called cleft grafting in all cases, not 

 only in nursery stock but also in top working. We know that 

 this statement opens the way for quite a discussion among 

 orchardists. The form called budding is practiced by many; 

 splice grafting by others. We have our opinion, you have 

 yours, follow whichever you like, but graft you must. There 

 is no question but that the best results are secured when the 

 scions are set in stock not over one inch in diameter. 



It seems unnecessary to go into detail in regard to the 

 different ways of grafting as these have been described so many 

 times in our farm papers. Station bulletins and Government 

 reports. For a commercial orchard select scions from only a 

 few varieties and be sure that these are taken from trees that 

 have established a good record for first-class fruit. We cannot 

 too firmly impress this fact. A fair test will convince any can- 

 did person that there is a very wide difference in the same 

 variety of apples taken from trees growing under different con- 

 ditions or whose scions were taken from dift'erent stock. 



Do not put off grafting until too late in the spring. Many 

 graft after the trees have blossomed. Better results will be 

 secured if the grafting is done before the buds start. This will 

 give the scion a chance to start with the rest of the tree, and 

 allow it to finish its growth in the fall. In grafting young trees 

 in the nursery, cut the stock about two feet from the ground and 

 set the scions. When these have grown to be about a foot or 

 fifteen inches in length cut off the end so that lateral buds will 

 start to form the main branches. Each apple grower has his 

 own preference for varieties. We will mention a few among 

 the leading commercial varieties : Baldwin, Rhode Island 

 Greening, Ben Davis, Spy, King, Roxbury. 



For home consumption we would have one tree each of the 

 following: Red Astrachan, Williams, Gravenstein, Fameuse, 

 Mcintosh, Yellow Bellflower, Nodhead, Tolman Sweet. 



These could be set near the house in a home garden with 

 small fruits. Each family should have enough blackberry, rasp- 



