CALIFORNIA'S ADVANTAGES IN GRAFTING g3 



should be understood that there are parts of the State where the 

 winter conditions are more nearly like those at the East, and practice 

 has to conform to them. 



As to whether it is better to remove the whole top of the tree and 

 graft all the limbs in one year, there is some difference of opinion. 

 The prevailing practice is to graft over part of the limbs one year 

 and the balance the following year ; or else to leave part of the top 

 to shade the bark and take part of the sap flow until the grafts start 

 out well, and then cut it away. When a large amount of grafting is 

 to be done, the limbs may be cut off during the weeks preceding 

 grafting. In this case, the cut should be made a foot or two above 

 the grafting point and a second cut be made at this point, when 

 ready to put in the scions. 



Whenever old bark is exposed by cutting back for grafting 

 thorough protection against sunburn must be provided with good 

 whitewash, made according to the recipes given at the close of 

 Chapter XI. 



Newly set grafts should be frequently looked after to see that 

 the wax remains perfect ; also to remove suckers from the stock 

 which may rob the grafts of sap for starting and growing. Care 

 should also be taken that growth on grafts is not so rapid as to 

 break away in the wind before the union becomes strong. Such 

 rapid growth should be supported by fastening a lath alongside both 

 stock and graft, or it should be checked by pinching or cutting-back 

 the graft-growth as conditions make desirable. 



What has been said thus far relates especially to the working 

 over of old trees of common deciduous fruits. Though much the 

 same method will succeed with some of the semi-tropical fruits and 

 with nut trees, the discussion of their propagation and grafting over 

 will be deferred to the chapters devoted to them, and this will also 

 give opportunity to describe methods especially adapted to these 

 fruits. 



