THE CHESTNUT 61 



anese chestnut, which has smaller leaves. It is 

 necessary to bear this in mind in dealing with 

 seedlings that have a Japanese strain. It is 

 needless to say that the capacity to select the 

 right seedlings for preservation is highly impor- 

 tant, as an element in saving time and expense 

 in the practical development of improved vari- 

 eties of chestnuts. 



Already, I have referred to the saving of time 

 that may be accomplished through grafting the 

 chestnut seedlings instead of waiting for them to 

 develop on their own roots. Unlike most other 

 trees, the chestnut should not be grafted until 

 just before the bark begins to slip in the spring. 

 If grafted much earlier it is necessary to protect 

 the grafts by tying a paper sack over them until 

 they start growth to prevent evaporation; but in 

 every case it is better to wait till shortly before 

 the bark begins to slip. This is unlike the 

 cherry, which must be grafted very early or suc- 

 cess is extremely doubtful. 



When grafting is performed after the bark 

 begins to slip, it is necessary to tie down the 

 bark against the graft with a string to keep it 

 in place, otherwise it rolls away from the graft 

 and union does not take place. If grafting is 

 done at the right time and with reasonable care, 

 it is usually successful. 



