SEASONABLE HINTS. 



iSi 



jority of their roots are still within the 

 grassed area, and it seems impossible, 

 therefore, to attribute the effects of the 

 grass to a competition of food between the 

 roots of the g-rass and those of the tree. 

 We believe one of the main causes of the 

 effects to be due to the larg-e increase in the 

 evaporation from the soil which is known to 

 be produced by grass, the trees being there- 

 by made to suffer from drought, with con- 

 sequent deprivation of other nourishment as 

 well ; but we have reason to consider that 

 the grass acts also, by preventing the access 

 of air to the roots of the trees. Further ex- 

 periments have been undertaken to elucidate 

 this action more fully." 



Top Grafting bearing apple and pear trees 

 is a far simpler job than most fruit growers 

 imagine. A skillful hand with a sharp knife 

 and a fine toothed saw, a ball of wax and 

 some scions, can transform a worthless or- 

 chard to one of great value. Why grow a 

 dozen kinds of winter apples, giving a mixed 

 car load that is hard to 

 sell, when a few days 

 work would result in 

 an orchard of straight 

 Spy, Ontario, York 

 Imperial, Gravenstein 

 or some other one of 

 the best varieties, and 



Fig. 2049. 



Fig. 20SO. 



enable you to export whole car loads of a sin- 

 gle first-class sort at top prices. 



Cut 2050 clearly shows the method of 

 ■cleft grafting without further description. 



CION 



Fig. I. 

 Fig. 2051. 



The scions should be cut in advance when 

 perfectly dormant, and if this precaution is 

 observed, the tree to be grafted may be 

 even coming out into leaf and yet the work 

 be a success. It is important to learn to 

 make a uniform slope in wedging the scion, 

 and at such an angle as will fit the split. 

 For this a sharp knife and a little practice is 

 necessary. Fig. 2051 shows how important 

 it is that the inner bark of stock and scion 

 should meet and thus grow together, for 

 here the vital union takes place. When fit- 

 ted, the wedge holding the split open is re- 

 moved and the scion will be held fast in 

 place. 



The grafting wax should be applied as 

 shown in 2049. The following is one of 

 many recipes for making grafting wax : 

 Resin, 4 parts by weight ; beeswax, 2 parts; 

 tallow, I part. Melt together and pour into 

 a pail of cold water. Then grease the hands 

 and pull until it is nearly white. 



Spraying — Much as our experiment 

 stations have done for us in this particular 

 line, there is yet room for considerable work 

 on their part. Sometimes it gives marked 

 results, and then again, the fruit grower al- 

 most concludes it has been a complete failure 

 and a great loss of time and money. What 

 we growers want to know are just the exact 

 conditions that give certain results? Just 

 now, before the buds open, we are instructed 

 to spray our apple, pear and plum trees with 



