Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Nov., 1911. 



PROPAGATION OF FRUIT TREES. 



{Continued from page 66 j.) 

 C. F. Cole, Orchard Supervisor. 

 Grafting. 



Although grafting is a very old method of propagation, it i.s still largely 

 [practised and is likely to be. Its value as a means of testing the utility 

 (jf new seedlings and varieties, whether for stock purposes or resistance 

 to disease, must l)e recognized amongst propagators as one of, if not, the 

 greatest of crafts practised in Horticulture. For example, the hybridizer 

 is enabled to prove or disprove within a few years from sowing whether 

 a seedling is of any value, commercially or otherwise ; also, it can be 

 ascertained whether a new variety is suitable to .any particular soil or 

 climate. As a general rule, seedlings take many years before they become 

 fruitful ; but, by working a scion of. say, a seedling pear upon a quince 

 tree, using ,a terminal branch, it will soon become fruitful. 



Budding is superior to- grafting only in this respect that it enables one 

 to perpetuate more quickly a greater quantity from a given variety. A 

 scion carrying four wood buds, if used in grafting, produces one tree ; but, 

 by resorting to budding, it is possible tO' raise four distinct trees. Since 

 the well known Jonathan apple was introduced to Victoria from the United 

 States, where it is known under tlie names of King Philip and Philip Rick^ 

 hundreds of thousands of trees of this variety have been propagated from 

 a single bud ox scion, chiefly by budding. 



Grafting has, however, many merits that give it preference over bud- 

 ding when practised upon certain kinds and varieties of fruits to gain a 

 desired result. The manual operation of grafting is not so easily per- 

 formed as that of budding. It requires more vigour and skill when making 

 the cuts. Yet, with practice and a suitable knife, (Fig. i), it is easily 

 accomplished. There are many methods of grafting in vogue, but only 

 two will be dealt with, viz., whip-tongue, and bark for practising in the 

 field. Even with these two methods, the manner of making the cuts upon 

 the stock and scion differs somewhat. This is controlled by the parts 

 to be operated upon. Each method will be described in detail so as to 

 enable the operator tO' obtain the best results. 



Ground Grafting. 



Ground grafting may be practised in cases where the inserted buds 

 have failed to unite with the stocks, through injury or other causes, and 

 after cutting off is finished, i.e., heading or reducing the stocks back to 

 the united buds. If the grafting is done when the sap is starting to rise 

 in the stocks it gives the propagator a second chance of producing a 

 yearling tree, equally as fast ,as one from a bud in.serted in the previous 

 summer. 



The operator should first provide himself with a whetstone, a strop 

 for his knives, a folded wheat sack for lise as a kneeling pad, a supply 

 of prepared raffia, and a small shallow box to hold the stone and knives, 

 and also the scions which should be previously cut into the required lengths. 

 It is advisable to have two knives; one for doing the rough cutting, i.e., 

 reducing the stocks ready for grafting. 



To do this, take hold of the stock by the top with one hand, and with 

 the other place the knife in position. Then bend the stock slightly towards 



