AN ORCHARD EXPERIENCE OF ONE-THIRD CENTURY. 26l 



have a box eighteen inches square. I put the box down in the 

 space left vacant by the block of ice. I put about two inches of 

 sand into the box and then lay in my scions on the sand, then 

 some more sand and more scions until I have as much as I want; 

 then I cover up the box, which is a foot deep, and as the ice is 

 nearly two feet thick I get ample covering. When the first of 

 July comes those scions are just as dormant as the day they were 

 put in. I take the scions and go to the tree I wish to graft. 

 Most of the fruit I had on my place last fall was grafted on wild 

 stock. I cut off the top, then take my knife and split the bark, 

 and at that time the cambium layer is forming, and there is a sort 

 of mucilage under the bark. I do not cut it straight, but I cut 

 it somewhat slanting. Then I take a goose quill and sharpen it in 

 the shape of a toothpick. I loosen one side and then run the 

 quill under the bark, which is lifted up to admit the scion, and then 

 wax it over and tie a string around it or use cloth. In twenty- 

 four hours I had a graft shove out a quarter of an inch. Three 

 years ago I had one tree that was grafted on the 24th of July, 

 and when frost came it had shoved out four inches. One thing 

 we do not want to forget; after they are grown together, say in 

 about two weeks, we must go around and cut that string. If it 

 were not cut it would injure the graft. 



Mr. Philips (Wis.): Do you do that work both in June and 

 July? 



Mr. Wilfert: I do it usually about the first of July. 



Mr. Philips: You just loosen the bark and do not cut the 

 wood at all? 



Mr. Wilfert: No, I don't cut the wood at all. 



Mr. Philips : Well, I suppose it amounts to the same thing in 

 the end. 



Mr. Wilfert: I have a different wiy of grafting apple trees 

 than most nurserymen have. I top-worked fifty or sixty last 

 spring. I had some Duchess I wanted to put my own seedling 

 on. I sawed off the top, and on most of them I split the body 

 and then made a wedge and put it in in the usual way. With 

 some of them I took a saw and sawed in a distance enough to 

 admit the scion, then I took my knife and drew it along on both 

 sides to cut out the sliver to get a smooth edge on the bark, then 

 I made a little chisel and dug out the chips, then took my scion 

 and put it in. Of course, if a man has more than two or three 

 hundred grafts to set he can't do it. I see a great advantage in 

 this method. By the old way of splitting and budding it admits 

 water, and in a few years the wood begins to decay; but in this 

 way with a rag tied over it heals over at once. Mine are all grown 

 over, and I consider this way a great advantage over any other. 

 By the other method you must necessarily have a weak spot, but 

 in this way it grows perfectly sound. It makes it stronger against 

 wind and better in every way. 



Mr. 'Elliot: There is a little matter connected with this paper 

 that perhaps needs explanation. As chairman of the committee 

 on seedling fruit exhibits this matter was brought to my attention 



