248 JVotes from t?ie Collcgre I^arm. 



Of Inoculating or Grafting. 



ED. "Western Horticulturist : Although we are wout to believe that modern 

 practices are, as a general thing, preferable to those of ancient times, and, as a 

 consequence, discard the old, it is sometimes well to refer to the doings and sayings 

 of the forefathers for the purpose of making a comparison between modes of proced- 

 ure, being thereby the better prepared to judge of the superiority of one over the 

 other ; for this purpose, I present a very short article, upon the above subject, from 

 a book published over one hundred years ago : 



" Grafting is an artificial Transposing or Transplanting of a Twig or Scion, a Bud 

 or Leaf taken from the Tree, or of some other Kind, and placed, or put to, or into, 

 that of another, called Grafting in the Cleft. 



" The best Time for gathering Grafts is in the Middle of February. Observe that 

 the Scion is to be cut below the Knot. 



" Grafting in the Cleft. First cut or saw off the Top of the Stock to a curious 

 Smoothness ; then cut two Gashes with a sharp Knife ; then, with small Wedges, 

 sharpened according to the Bigness of the Graft, being thrust in, raise the bark of 

 the Stock, and put in the Graft, exactly shaped as the Wedge ; then close it hard 

 with your Hand, and bind it about with Clay and Horse-dung mixed. In this Man- 

 ner may any Fruits be grafted, whether Apples, Pears, Plums, Cherries, etc. The 

 Apple is commonly grafted on Crab-Tree Stocks." 



Notwithstanding the antiquity of the above, in its directions, it is sufficiently 

 explicit; and there is but little doubt but that, following out the same, with care, 

 would result in equal success with any of the methods produced at the present day. 



ColumUa, Conn. William H. Yeomans. 



♦-♦ 



Notes from the College Farm. — It appears that the Ida strawberry so highly 

 commended from the College Farm, succumbed to the effects of the past winter. 

 May 30th, Professor Matthews, of our State Agricultural College, writes us: " I find 

 the Ida, which before stood it better than any other kind, dying out day after day 

 for want of any life in the roots, and upon a careful examination I have come to the 

 conclusion that there is not a plant of any kind of this fruit which would grow if 

 removed. One in twenty may survive if left undisturbed." 



Prof. M. also remarks upon grape vines : " Out of about 1,000 grape vines in our 

 vineyard, from three to four years old, not over 100 are alive, by reason of root kill- 

 ing. There is not, except of one kind, of which I have only two plants, a live root 

 in the vineyard, and not one in about 2,500 young plants, mostly two years old. Of 

 the two plants I speak of, nothing can be sounder than their roots. Here is a hint. 

 Can not such a hardy kind be grafted at the ground, and have a vineyard which will 

 bid defiance to this root killing, for my tops being covered with earth come out every 

 spring as sound as I ever saw vines in my life." 



Fruit growers in the Grand Traverse, Mich., region, are rejoicing at the flatter- 

 ing prospects of an exceedingly bountiful crop. 



