The Custard Apple in Queensland. 13 



IV. Propagation and Grafting. 



Custard Apples were at first propagated by seeds. After the 

 -discovery of the Mammoth variety grafting was commonly resorted to, to 

 ensure the holding of its superb qualities. The Custard Apple is 

 notoriously given to variation when raised from seed, which character 

 probably arises from the habit of the male and female organs on one 

 tree developing at different periods, and so causing the flowers of one 

 tree to be pollinated from those of another tree. This is probably one 

 cause of isolated trees flowering freely, but producing no fruit. 



A Custard Apple orchard should always be formed of worked trees. 

 If the grower does his own grafting, a few seedling trees may be grown 

 from which seeds for stocks may be obtained, but the grower's rule 

 should be to plant only worked tre^s of certain varieties. 



At first it may be necessary to buy trees from a nurseryman, but 

 it is desirable to have a small nursery on the plantation, so that young 

 trees may be available at any time for extending the plantation or 

 supplying extras. 



Though budding is practised in the propagation of the Custard 

 Apple in California, Florida, and the Philippines, the system generally 

 .adopted in Queensland is grafting. In Madeira and the Canary Islands 

 desirable varieties are also propagated by grafting, and Dr. Trabut in 

 the ' ' Bulletin Agricole de 1 'Algerie et de la Tunisie, ' ' in the course of a 

 discussion on Custard Apple propagation, says that grafting has been 

 .found much more successful than budding. 



The stocks used should be two years old seedlings of the Cherimoya 

 type, such as the Island (Plate 1), or the Alligator Apple (A. glabra} , 

 In Florida and the Philippines the Sweet Sop or Sugar Apple is used 

 .as a stock, but a prominent Brisbane nurseryman says it is unsatisfactory. 

 A. montana (Plate 13), and what Redland Bay growers call the Mount 

 -Cotton variety are also said to be good stocks. Probably the reason why 

 tropical species like Anona sqnamosa and A. muricata are unsuitable 

 as stocks in Southern Queensland is that they are out of their usual 

 climate ; they require more heat and moisture. 



Provided good stocks are available of about the thickness of a 

 common pencil or up to half an inch, the grafting may be proceeded with. 

 The materials requisite for the work are a good sharp knife and tying 

 or bandaging material; a strong budding knife will be found the best 

 tool. Nurserymen generally use raffia for tying, but budding or grafting 

 tape is more serviceable, quicker, and affords less chance of admitting 

 .dirt into the wound. 



The best form of grafting on nursery seedlings is the tongue or 

 splice graft, Well-matured wood of the previous season's growth should 

 be obtained for scions, which should hold at least three good buds or= 

 the section to be used. Reference to figure will show how the cuts 

 should be made, the stock being cut as at A and the scion as at B. The 



