PROPAGATION OF FRUITS. 49 



grafts would bring in so large an income as the old kind, and 

 there is some risk to run in grafting over an old tree. The 

 grafts may fail, or the tree itself may die in consequence of 

 cutting out so much of the top. 



It is to afford some suggestions how to avoid failure in 

 grafting that this article is written." 



THE TIME FOR GRAFTING. 



We prefer grafting apple trees as early in A pril as the wax 

 will work freely. If the work is properly done, no subsequent 

 freezing will injure the grafts. I once grafted an orchard 

 in the early part of April, and about the middle of the month 

 the ground froze up quite solid, but the grafts succeeded re- 

 markably well. 



GRAFTING WAX. 



A very good wax for grafting may be made with 2 lbs. 

 of resin, 1 lb. beeswax and 1 lb. tallow. They should be 

 melted together, poured into a tub of cold water, and worked 

 with the hands, until soft and pliable, and as light colored as 

 possible, as dark colored wax is liable to melt and run off in 

 the Summer sun. 



Some recommend linseed oil in the place of tallow, but I 

 think it makes too dark colored a wax. 



GRAFTING. 



The first operation in grafting is to saw off the limbs to be 

 grafted, and this is a very important part of the operation. 



It is desirable to have the new top as low as possible, and 

 many are induced to saw off large limbs as near the trunk as 

 practicable in order to secure this end ; but it is very liable 

 to result in the failure of the grafts and the speedy death of 

 the tree. The end of the limbs will die first, and decay will 

 soon extend down to the roots. Never saw off a limb more 

 than two inches in diameter^ and hut few of that size. The 

 safest way and the one most certain of success, is to allow 

 the larger limbs to remain and graft their lateral branches, 

 5 



