IRISH GARDENING. 



45 



The Month's Work. 



The Fruit Garden. 



G' 



By GEORGE DOOLAN, Instructor in Fruit Culture, Department of 

 Agriculture. 



RAFTING.— This interesting- 

 work is best done in the early 

 days of April, though if the 

 weather be mild and favourable it may 

 be done in the last week of March. 

 Pears should be taken in hand first, 

 then plums, and the apple last of all, 

 the pear being fully a week earlier. 



Grafted trees can now be got so 

 cheap at the nurseries that it is doubt- 

 ful if it is worth the trouble of doing the 

 work oneself; however, it is an operation 

 most fruit grov.'ers like to be able to 

 perform. There are in many places 

 old favourite varieties which the owners 

 would like to preserve, and grafting is 

 the means to that end. Again, it some- 

 times happens that young frees fail to 

 do well, looking sickly and delicate ; 

 ^— by cutting these back and crown graft- 



ing, new life and vigour may be said to be put into the 

 tree. Trees badly cankered may be cut back and 

 treated likewise. 



The great objects of grafting are to increase good 

 varieties, to give vigour to delicate-growing trees, to 

 reduce vigour in those that make too much wood and 

 no fruit, and to quicken fruitfulness. The accompany- 

 ing diagrams (from the original drawings of Mr. E. H. 

 Bowers) show two popular methods of grafting — viz., 

 tongue grafting (H M N O) and crown grafting 



(Q R S T). The 

 first method is used 

 where the stock is thin, 

 and the second where 

 the stock may be any 

 thickness. 



The scions should 

 be prepared with a 

 very sharp knife, and 

 it is most important 

 that the barks of the 

 stock and scion should 

 be in contact, as the 

 cells from which new- 

 growth takes place 

 lie between the bark 

 and the wood. If the 

 scion is smaller than 

 the stock, then the bark 

 at one side should be 

 placed in contact ; this 

 applies also to tongue 

 grafting. The details 

 of tongue grafting need 



not be described, as 



"^^=^_ they are clearly shown 



in the sketches. In the 

 case of crown grafting a slit is made on the bark (Q a), 

 and the scion (R) is inserted (S). Having first carefully 

 raised the bark, bind firmly with cotton thread or raffia 

 string (T), and cover all over with grafting wax or 

 prepared clay to exclude air, as shown in (O). When the 

 new growth is about two inches long this covering must 

 be taken off. Grafting wax prepared in tins can be 

 obtained off seedsmen, but prepared clay will be quite 

 as effectual. A quantity of loamy clay of a sticky nature 

 should be got and all stones extracted (such clay is 

 usually got by digging two feet deep) ; beat up well and 



mix cow manure and horse droppings, about an equal 

 quantity ; make like putty, and apply firmly aroimd stock 

 and scion to the size of a goose egg. It is advisable to 

 have the scions cut some time previous and placed in 

 the ground to keep fresh. As the union takes place 

 better when the stock is commencing to grow, or at 

 least when the sap is rising, the scions when cut a few- 



weeks previous are in a more dormant state ; they 

 must not, however, be prepared until the moment of 

 grafting. 



Raspberries.— These should be pruned without delay ; 

 the amount to be cut off each cane depends upon the 

 growth. All weak canes should be cut hard back, and 

 newly planted ones may be cut to six inches from the 



ground. Where raspberries are planted in clumps, all 

 superfluous growths should be cut out. Allow only 

 seven or eight canes to each clump; these should be tied 

 and have the tops cut back somewhat. All weeds 

 growing among- the canes should be pulled, and a dress- 

 ing of good manure be given to the surface. This will be 

 of great benefit, as the raspberry is a surface-rooting 

 plant which throws out an abundance of root fibres. 



Complete the pruning of fruit trees wherever the work 

 may have been delayed, and any suckers arising from 

 the roots should be carefully dug out with the spade. 



