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IRISH GARDENING 



" Grafting/ 



Bv Andrew F. 



Pearson, F.R.H.S., Glanmire 

 Oo. Cork. 



Ay 



TriE ari of grafting fruil trees has 

 been practised from time imme- 

 morial, and our forefathers knew 

 the art thoroughly. It is one of 

 the easiest and quickest methodsof 

 propagating fruil trees. Asthesap 

 is now flowing, the presenl month 

 is a suitable time to graft apples, 

 pears, and stone fruits. Taking the 

 apple as one of t he chief fruits in 

 Ill-land, it may be stated, without 

 entering into the merits or demerits 

 of stocks, that the Crab and Para- 

 i disc are the two principally used 

 the former for standards and half- 

 standards, as well as for trees that 

 -j 1 \~- are to be trained. The Para- 



'}- . disc stuck is an admirable one 



for small bush cultivation, where 

 high class culture is given, and 

 it may be taken as the quickest to produce fruit. 

 Assuming that the stocks have been prepared 

 by one season's growth in their presenl positions, 

 and being cut back to near the point of fixing 

 the graft; which should be at 6 to !• inches from 

 the ground level, and thai the grafts or scions 

 have been cut off the parent trees sometime ago 

 and heeled in the soil on a northern aspect. )|| ( . 

 two principal agents are read;,. 



The young stocks will be somewhat larger than 



t he scions (which. by 

 the way, ought to 

 be st iff, well ripened 

 w ood of one season's 

 growth, not feeble 

 green wood), and will 

 be slightly in ad- 

 vance in growth of 

 the scions — a \er\ 

 necessary thing to 



ensure success. It is 



also hetter to graft 

 late than too early, 

 but generally speak- 

 ing the middle to 

 end of March will 

 give good results. 

 Whip or tongue 

 graft ing is a suitable 

 form for working 

 young stocks: the 

 old trees require a 

 i»vi t different sort of 

 _'™"z^ graft, which will be 

 :.._-= dealt with later. A 

 sharp knife, a bundle 

 of mat t ing, and some 

 grafting wax or clay are all the requirements. 



Begin by cutting the top of the stock with one 

 stroke of the knife in an upward slanting direc- 

 tion, then about midway in the face of cut make 

 a wedge-shaped cut downward til take tin- tongue 

 • if the scion, the -luck is thus prepared. Next 

 proceed by topping the scion. Leaving three or 

 four buds for future growth; one sharp stroke of 

 the knife to make a sloping cut corresponding to 

 that of the stock, then an upward cut in the face 

 of the scion to lit very neatly into the wedge 

 mouth of the stock, completes the cutting part of 

 the work. Fit the scion into the face of stock. 



and, as mentioned before, the stock may he larger 

 than tin- scion : hut great care must he taken to 

 make sure that the hark of scion and stock meet 

 on one side at least, as it is only by the one 

 layer of alburnum in the stock meeting the cor- 

 responding layer of alburnum in the scion that 



Wimp or Tongue Grafting. 



perfect union is ensured. There is no actual 

 junction of old wood, but the cambium cells 

 form new wood and new hast and hark. 



The fitting having taken place, hind the scion 

 to the stock firmly with matting, hut not too 



Grown Grafting. 



From drawing by E. II Bower. 



tight, then apply a lighl dressing of grafting wax 

 over the junction to prevent evaporation of the 



sap from the cut surface. Place a stick to each 

 graft, making one tie to the stock and one to the 



malt. This prevents damage being done by the 

 wind shaking and displacing the graft, and 

 prevents birds alighting on the grafl and destroy- 

 ing t he work. 



In grafting old trees which, perhaps, have been 



producing fruit of had quality, quite a different 



