162 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
say that a poor growing tree is quite apt to have a poor root. You 
might think it was all due to the root that the top was strong or 
weak, but I do not think that is the case; I have noticed in passing 
through the nursery we see one row of trees that are strong and 
vigorous, and in the next row we have a’weak growing variety; sol 
think the top hasa great deal todo with making a strong root. But 
I do think a strong growing tree can be top-worked with beneficial 
effect on the variety that is top-worked on it; so I would suggest it 
should be the best stock you could get. 
The plan of top-working, in my judgment, should be that of 
making a thorough job of cutting the limbs off. In other words, I 
would graft every limb on the tree, excepting only such limbs as I 
wanted to take off the tree later. Ordinarily on a tree that is six, 
eight or ten inches in diameter, we graft two-thirds of the limbs. I 
would not try to graft them too low down, but in such a way as to 
make a well proportioned top, so that the second year you may take 
off allthatis left,and you havea perfectly formed top of new growth 
of the new variety. If you had to pay five cents a graft and had a 
good many trees to change by top-working, you would have to pay 
a good deal. Grafters would make good wages at two and three 
cents a graft, and you had better pay that if youare anxious to have 
the work done and have it well done, than to put in a graft here and 
there. Of course, you can do it yourself and can figure what your 
own time is worth. 
The process I think most of you understand; I do not think it is 
necessary to go into detail in regard to the process. Itis usually 
done on large trees by sawing off limbs, splitting the limb and put- 
ting in two grafts and waxing them thoroughly. The greatest 
care should be taken to use good scions, and after inserting 
the graft to see that the bark of the graft comes in contact with 
that of the limb that you are grafting, so there will be a flow of 
sap through the graft. And then the most particular part is to wax 
it properly. A good wax is made of five pounds of rosin to one 
pound of wax and one of tallow or linseed oil; the best wax is 
made with linseed oil. The wax must be used warm, which can be 
done by keeping itin warm water and having a little grease on the 
hands. If you do that waxing well you will make every graft grow, 
and if you let a particle of air get into the graft you will have a 
failure. I ought to say, perhaps, that after they are grafted you 
should keep the new growth away from the graft for at least twelve 
to eighteen inches, the new growth that will start out from them 
through the season, but allow all the other growth around the tree 
to remain, unless there is something that interferes by weakening 
of the graft. The leaves that are left are necessary to furnish nour- 
ishment to the grafts that have not siarted. In two years you can 
have a perfect top and have your tree fruiting. 
Mr. Burnap, (Iowa): In the paper yesterday it was advised against 
top-working large trees; they said the grafts would break off. What 
have you to say about that? 
Pres. Underwood: I did not catch that at the time. I should ob- 
ject to that statement. I have done a great deal of top-working on 
