PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING 125 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Meyers: I would like to ask a question about this grafting and 

 budding, whether you can graft any kind of bud or fruit? 



Trof. Taft: If I understood the question correctly, it would be as to the 

 trees that we would graft and plants that we would bud in propagating 

 them. The object of the nurserymen is to bud in propagating peaches, 

 and generally they use budding for i)ropagating the cherry, plum, and 

 pear. The apple has in the past been largely grafted, root-grafted, as 

 they call it. You can propagate all of our common tree fruits by bud- 

 ding, although, with the apple, it is generally done by grafting, and 

 possibly the gentleman asking the question had something in mind as to 

 how we should graft one upon the other. I will say we get the best 

 results, as a rule, if we graft on seedlings of the same species, as, for 

 instance, plums on plums, cherries on cherries, etc. In the case of the 

 iipple we always, as a rule, graft upon an apple seedling. In the case 

 of the pear we graft on pear seedlings in standard trees and on quince 

 root for dwarf trees. Kegarding the peach, of course we as a rule graft 

 upon peach seedlings. In some places, not in this section, where they have 

 heavy, wet soils, and wish to grow the peach, they sometimes use a plum 

 «tock for that, and in the same way they will use peach stock for some 

 kinds of plum; for instance, Lombard and some of the others do not grow 

 41S well on a peach as will some of the native plums. As a rule, I would 

 graft them up above the crotches, nearly all of them. A large peach tree 

 we do not as a rule either bud or graft; that can be done by cutting back 

 and getting new growth. 



Q: How is the grapevine grafted? 



Prof. Taft: Well, so far as the grape goes, we would graft that, per- 

 haps, if we had a vine that was of no value as a variety, some poor 

 variety, perhaps; and the best way to do that is in the fall to dig down 

 «o as to expose the trunk clear to the roots, leaving just a short stub, 

 and cutting this off possibly two or three inches above where the roots 

 start out, and insert in that a scion, or two scions if it is a. large stalk. 

 It is very likely to split cross-grained, as we say, and the scions drop 

 out, possibly. It is better, I think, to take a fine saw and saw it down 

 instead of splitting, and it might do, perhaps, to make two parallel cuts 

 close together and take out a chip between, and then cut the scion so as 

 not to have a wedge, as we would ordinarily, and then take a little bark 

 off from each of the sides of the lower ends of the scion; then introduce 

 the scion, having it pressed closely in place by the force from the two 

 «ides, and you can put something over this to keep out the weather. 

 It might be well to have some clay to put over it, but I would not use 

 any grafting wax. Replace the soil so that the stock will be covered 

 and possibly just a little — half of the scion, perhaps. I then put over that 

 soil straw enough to keep it from freezing and thawing. In the spring 

 take this away, and the scion will generally grow; but if you do not cover 

 it there is danger of its being frozen. You can graft in the spring, but 

 it is best to do it in the fall and then keep away the frost. 



Mr. Morrill; 1 think ^Ir. Kellogg has struck an i<h'a that is very impor- 

 tant primarily to nurserymen, and T do not know but ])rimarily to the 



