182 THE APPLE CULTURIST. 



lated; neither have they any regard to the kind of fruit 

 that is set, seldom failing of a job for the want of the vari- 

 ety of fruit desired. But before there is time for the fruit 

 to prove itself, they are gone to parts unknown, to practise 

 their deception on other localities. We would caution the 

 public against employing this class of peregrinators as un- 

 safe and unfit for their employment. 



The other method of grafting large trees is to saw off 

 large branches and insert the cions in these stumps, bring- 

 ing the grafts nearer the body of the tree, and exempting 

 it from the growth of the natural branches, or the pest of 

 suckers ; while it gives the cions an opportunity of attain- 

 ing to some size, by removing them farther from the termi- 

 nus of the capillary attraction, and bringing the weight of 

 fruit more evenly over the tree. But this method, too, has 

 its objections ; the stocks being large, the grafts will re- 

 quire time to grow, so as to cover and adhere firmly and 

 strongly to the stock. Hence, many of the young and ten- 

 der grafts will be liable, while in full leaf, to be split off by 

 the force of a strong wind ; and, as they will usually come 

 into bearing before the grafts cover the stump, they often 

 split off with the weight of fruit ; and unless there is more 

 pains taken than is usual to keep the wounds properly waxed, 

 the stump will begin to decay before they are grown over ; 

 and this will often prove a defect that will destroy the graft. 

 It is a common occurrence to see a large and thrifty graft 

 full of fruit broken square off by the wind, at the point 

 where the cions were set in the large stock. Hence it will 

 be found preferable, as a general rule, to trim the branches 

 of a tree in early spring, as directed by Fig. 71, and inocu- 

 late the young shoots that are sent out on the bare limbs. 

 By this means, a beautiful top can be formed quite as soon 

 as by any plan of grafting. The chief aim should be to 

 form suitable limbs at proper distances from each other, 



