276 



ON GRAFT-BUDDING. 



bear rolling or lifting out of the hole with- 

 out falling to pieces. 



Of course you will have the holes dug, 

 and made ready to receive the tree, before- 

 hand, so that when you have the latter on 

 the spot, there may be no obstacle to lower- 

 ing the ball at once into its new bed. 



I say "lowering;" and this leads me to 

 remark, that a very great assistance in 

 transplanting "balled" trees is a common 

 ship's block, (or pulley,) fastened at the top 

 of three stout sapling poles, set on the 

 ground so as to form a triangle, or three- 

 legged frame, in the same way as seamen 

 and others use it for lifting weights. By 

 bringing this pulley and frame over the 

 tree, (the block should be one of the largest 

 size, so as to hold a strong rope,) you may 



fasten the rope round the ball or trunk, and 

 thus assist very much in lifting it out of 

 the hole, and placing it on the sled or 

 " stone-boat." 



The operation is best and easiest per- 

 formed when there is a light coat of snow 

 on the ground ; for then a very heavy tree 

 may be carried, on a sled, with a large 

 ball of earth, by a couple of pairs of oxen. 



I have succeeded in moving hemlocks, 

 (which are, I think, usually thought rather 

 shy of transplanting,) 25 feet high, and 

 with trunks IS inches in circumference, 

 with great success. They scarcely changed 

 colour the next season, and are now in the 

 finest condition. I am, sir, yours. 



An Akboricultueist. 



Philadelphia, Nuv., 1848. 



ON GRAFT-BUDDING— A NEW AND SUCCESSFUL MODE. 



BY DR. A. H. PECK, PORT GIBSON, MISS- 



A. J. DoAVNiNG, Esq. — Dea?- Sir : I take so 

 much pleasure in studying your " Fruit 

 and Fruit Trees of America," that I would 

 gladly thank you, in person, for your la- 

 bors. 



In looking over your remarks on budding 

 and grafting, I find that the American 

 shield, or T budding, is preferred, and very 

 justly too, over the European mode. Having 

 great fondness for horticulture, I have prac- 

 ticed different modes a good deal ; and I 

 venture, at the present moment, to draw 

 your attention to my method of graft- 

 budding, for it partakes of the nature of 

 both these operations. 



This mode of budding, or grafting, dif- 

 fers from others, in being performed only 

 when the bark peels. It is performed, so 

 far as regards the stock and the incisions 

 made, in the same way as common, or T 



budding, bearing in mind the relative size 

 of the scion and the stock. It may be per- 

 formed as long as the bark will peel easily, 

 and you can get crown scions ; (scions on 

 which the terminal bud is formed.) 



Take the scions from a bearing tree, if 

 you desire fruit speedily. And here I will 

 remark, that the crown (terminal) end of 

 the scion is far preferable for this mode to 

 the lower, or middle part, which is recom- 

 mended in all other forms of grafting. If 

 the middle part of the scion is used, and it 

 takes, it is very apt to lay dormant, and 

 finally, the next spring, disappoint your ex- 

 pectations by dying. The crown scion al- 

 most invariably takes ; it may lay dormant, 

 but seldom fails to bud forth in the spring. 



Having the scion in readiness, make the 

 T incision in the bark of the stock ; but 

 open only the up^er edges of the bark with 



