232 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



there is little question about the transmission of its characters through its 

 buds. 



Top-working is thought to hasten the fruitfulness of young orchards. 

 Definite experiments are progressing, which are expected to throw light on 

 the question. It is reasonably certain, however, now, that young trees top- 

 worked with buds from mature trees will come into fruitfulness sooner than 

 those propagated in the usual manner. 



TOP-WOKKING METHODS. 



Well-grown, medium-sized two-year-old trees, with well-developed roots 

 and tops, should be set in the orchard for the permanent stock ; and th& 

 second summer afterwards they may be budded, or they may be grafted at 

 the beginning of the third season. To illustrate, if an orchard is planted in 

 1901 it may be budded in the summer of 1902 or grafted in the spring of 

 1903. It may be budded during the season the orchard is planted, but we 

 think that at that time the trees are not well enough established. 



GRAFTING. 



The top-working may be done either by budding or by grafting ; fre- 

 quently both methods may be advantageously combined on the same tree. 

 Grafting is the process of inserting a scion into a stock so that the growing 

 parts of the two are in contact. The operation is done in the spring, just as 

 the leaves are pushing forth. It may be done for a month longer, though 

 the scions will not grow so large. The scions are inserted on three to five 

 branches in top-working, or sometimes they are inserted in the central 

 leader alone. Care should be exercised in selecting the branches, that 

 they are well distributed on the trunk, no two being closer than four or 

 five incnes apart. On all branches less than a half-inch in diameter the whip 

 or tongne-graft is used; on larger limbs the cleft-graft is employed. As 

 soon as the scions begin to grow in the spring all of the remaining branches 

 of the stock should be cut off. A branch-grafted tree develops into a well- 

 formed specimen, if the branches have been properly balanced and all of the 

 scions live. If some of the scions do not start an ill-shaped top develops and 

 a year elapses before the form can be corrected, unless .Tune buds are 

 inserted on the branches in which the buds have died. In those sections of 

 the country where bud moths are destructive, branch-grafting has serious 

 objections and should be replaced by body-budding. 



The body-graft also develops into a shapely top if the scions live, but if 

 they happen to perish, nothing but the stock remains. The branches which 

 are put forth by the stock can be budded in .June or in August, or grafted the 

 following spring. It is not often that a balanced tree can be formed after 

 the body scion has died. The cleft-graft is also used on the body, but it is 

 undesirable. An enlargement often occurs at the union, and the cleft some- 

 times heals with difficulty, or a scion may be blown out. leaving an ugly 

 wound which may eventuallv lead to the decav of the trunk. 



