96 



Grafting the Cherry. 



GRAFTING THE CHERRY. 



By C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 



Of the first importance is it that the cherry be grafted early. Do 

 not wait for the budf to start in the least, but let the work be done 

 as eai'ly in the spring as the weather will admit, sometimes even in 

 February. Perhaps more failures occur from grafting the cherry too 

 late than from all other causes. 



When the cleft for grafting is made in the ordinary way, the bark of 

 the cherry tree is apt to split in a ragged manner, not favorable for 

 rapid healing. 



To avoid this difficulty, let the knife be applied to the stock (as 

 shown by the dotted lines in the cut) in such a way that the bark shall 

 first be cut; then continue to cut until the knife appears as in the 

 engraving, leaving the bark entire on one side of the stock. 



Taking this care in the work when done early in the season, and 

 using wax hot enough to cover nicely (let the wax be hot enough to be 

 liquid, if the weather be very cold, in filling up the crevices), and 

 nearly all will grow. 



