132 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



or more inches in diameter, is sawn carefully off at a foot or 

 two from the trunk. With a grafting knife, the blade of which 

 for this purpose should be from six to eight inches long, a 

 number of splits are made around the edge at right angles to a 

 line of diameter, as if to take off so many chips. From the 

 end of one cut to the end of the next one adjoining, the 

 distance should be from one and a half to two inches, and the 

 chips should have thickness enough to hold two scions firmly. 

 A scion prepared in the ordinary way is then inserted in each 

 end of every split, making in all from four to sixteen, according 

 to the size of the stock. All the openings, and that part of the 

 stock outside of them, should be well covered with grafting 

 wax, and the central portion with the shellac solution. Nothing 

 more is done until the next spring, when a portion of the 

 scions are cut out, as they tend to crowd each other. At 

 the second spring pruning, one, two, or three, as may be 

 thought best, are allowed to remain, and all the rest removed. 

 A second portion of the tree may be grafted a year after the 

 first, but we think it better to have two years' interval, if more 

 than one-third is grafted at a time. 



The advantages of this mode of grafting are stated to be 

 these: The work is quicker accomplished, and requires a less 

 number of scions. When the tree comes into bearing, it is 

 much more compact than where the scions are set at a distance 

 from the centre. This will be found an important item in 

 gathering the fruit. Suckers give next to no trouble, as when 

 the grafting is completed, there is nothing left of the old tree 

 above ground but the trunk. The amount of firewood obtained 

 is frequently sufficient to pay all the expense. The only 

 drawback which we have heard suggested was, that the healing 

 of the stump is not satisfactory ; but we think that a careful 

 attention to keeping the openings covered with wax, and the 

 end of the stump with shellac for a year or two, will obviate 

 any difficulty on that score. 



Jabez Fisher, Chairman. 



