GRAFTING. 121 



tiot attempting- anj' special care or selection of varieties, but was 

 proving very conclusively that even on the sandy soils of Little 

 Falls it pcij'js to plant fruit trees. We were greatly pleased to meet 

 our old friend Mr. Cutler at the institute at Princeton, where he has 

 recently settled down on a cozy farm a mile or two from the city. 

 He has not lost his old love for the horticultural society and is 

 arranging to use considerable of his land for fruit and will be heard 

 from in the future. 



There has beeji no point visited by the institute where some varie- 

 ties of crabs or plums are not found to be flourishing, and our faith 

 in the final success, of horticulture in Minnesota is constantly 

 growing. 



GRAFTING. 



J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. 



Grafting is an art not nearly as well understood by the majority 

 who plant fruit trees as its importance merits. It is an easy and 

 sure method for changing a hardy tree that is unfruitful or produces 

 worthless fruit into a fruitful tree, producing fruit of the first qual- 

 ity. It is also a most common method of propagating and increasing 

 a new variety rapidlj'. There are a number of methods of perform- 

 ing the work, or styles of grafting. This paper will treat briefly 

 only on the style or method termed "whip-grafting," as it applies to 

 the propagation of nursery trees or making " root-grafts." 



"Root-grafting" is generally understood to mean taking up young 

 seedling trees by the roots and g^rafting them in-door during the 

 winter. The best stocks are well grown one year old seedlings, 

 having an average diameter of about one-fourth of an inch, that were 

 taken up in the late autumn and have been buried in a cold cellar 

 or other suitable place away from frost or drying. The scions used 

 in this, as well as other kinds of grafting, are the growth of the last 

 season, or the terminal shoots, and are best if cut before winter has 

 set in and preserved in the same manner as the stocks. The stocks 

 and scions being on hand, the only additional materials needed are 

 a sharp, thin bladed knife and some waxed cloth, pai>er or cotton 

 yarn— No. 18 being about the right strength. The best cloth is worn 

 calico or muslin, which is cut into strips and made up into rolls or 

 balls, care being taken to wind the strips smooth, or without folds. 

 These rolls are to be put into melted grafting wax and soaked until 

 they are thoroughly penetrated, and then laid on a board to drain 

 and cool. Grafting paper is prepared \)y taking .-strong, thin manilla 

 paper and with a brush spreading the melted wax thinlj^ upon one 

 side of each sheet, and afterward cutting it into strips convenient 

 for using. The cotton yarn is prepared by dipping the l>all into 

 melted wax same as the cloth. Grafting wax is made by melting 

 together over a slow fire eight parts of resin, four parts of beeswax 

 and two to three parts of tallow, or about that proportion. 



The stocks are prepared by washing them, cutting awaj- the small 

 fibrous roots and cutting them into suitable lengths. For what is 

 termed whole root-grafting, the scion is inserted at the collar.or that 



