CHANGING THE BEARING-YEAR. 25 



In top-grafting a tree of any considerable size, all of the 

 limbs should not be cut away, but enough left to shade the 

 trunk and branches destined to remain ; if not, the hot sun 

 during summers will so scorch the south side of the trunk, 

 and upper sides of the branches, that the bark will be killed, 

 and large bare places will be seen without any bark. After 

 the grafts have begun to grow, the remaining limbs should 

 be cut away from time to time, sufficient to give the grafts 

 room to grow without being crowded. Grafting consists of 

 taking a branch or scion from one tree, and putting it into 

 another, or the same, so that it will grow. The principal 

 things to be taken into account are these : the grafts should 

 be of the last season's growth; in cutting the scion, care 

 should be taken to make the cut true, and with a single 

 stroke of the knife, as it will be much easier to fit the scion 

 to the stock than if cut irregularly. In fitting the scion, see 

 that the inner bark of the scion conies in contact with the 

 inner bark of the stock ; as it is here that all growth takes 

 place, and also where the union is formed. A good grafting- 

 wax can be made from either of the following proportions : 

 beeswax three parts, resin three parts, and tallow two parts, 

 by weight; or, linseed-oil one pint, resin six pounds, and 

 beeswax one pound. These should be melted together, and 

 well stirred. As soon as it is cooled, it is ready for use. In 

 putting on the wax, be sure that the entire wound made is 

 covered by it, so that no air can get in. The only use of 

 wax in grafting is to exclude the air. Apple-trees can be 

 grafted any time in spring before the leaves begin to grow, 

 or even after if the scions have been kept in a dormant con- 

 dition. 



The other way of changing the bearing }*ear is by picking 

 off all of the blossoms, or fruit before it gets to be of any 

 considerable size, that all the nourishment the tree is able to 

 take up and prepare shall be used in making new growth, 

 and developing fruit-buds. It is no more the nature of the 

 apple-tree to bear the even year than it is the odd year : its 

 nature is to bear every year ; but overbearing, exhaustion of 

 the soil and tree, or some outside cause, has so weakened or 

 affected the tree, that it bears enormous crops one year, and 

 not any thing the next. Every fruit a tree bears robs the 

 tree of that much nourishment : this nourishment is obtained 



