128 PROPAGATION. 



The best way to accomplish all that is hoped for 

 from this system is to avoid the high trunk, and 

 make a more nearly natural, low headed tree, and 

 the next best is, if the high head must be had, 

 some protection to the trunk as has been before 

 described. 



TOP GRAFTING. 



This is understood to apply to the practice of 

 putting new heads of desirable variety upon 

 established trees, hardy, but of an undesirable 

 variety. Tender or half hardy varieties can be 

 successfully grown in this way when they cannot in 

 any other. This will be understood in a local 

 sense entirely, for what is hardy in one place may 

 be tender in another, and when we apply this to 

 practice it is equivalent to saying that where a 

 desirable variety cannot be grown in any other 

 way it may be in this manner. 



If I were trying to grow an orchard north of lati- 

 tude 45, and perhaps some lower than that, I would 

 pursue this course, and with every assurance of 

 success where such were possible. 



This consists of planting the hardy trees, root 

 grafted on the short root and long cion method, 

 and allowing them to stand till they have become 

 thoroughly established, say three years or more, 

 and then grafting or budding the branches to such 

 varieties as the climate would justify, and this 

 would be ascertained by investigating the orchards 

 or trees in this vicinity. If it should be so far 

 north that no trees were growing to guide I would 



