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EOOT AND CLEFT GKAFTING.' 



H. D. HEMENWAY, NORTHAMPTON, MASS. 



Grafting is the art of placing a portion of one plant upon 

 another related plant in such a manner that the growing tis- 

 sues of each coincide and union takes place. The plant 

 grafted is the stock. The part grafted into the stock is called 

 the scion. Grafting is practiced on many trees that do not 

 come true from seed, such as apples, pears, etc. The fruit 

 borne on grafted trees is the same variety as that from 

 which the scion was taken. 



Cleft grafting is practiced to obtain results from seedlings 

 in the shortest possible time. It is also used to change the 

 fruit upon any tree to a more desirable variety. 



It is not as difficult to graft as many believe. A careful 

 boy often obtains as good results as an experienced gardener. 



Root Grafting. 

 Root grafting, as the name implies, is the placing of a 

 scion of the desired variety upon the roots of some other. 

 Apple or pear seedlings one or two years old furnish good 

 stocks. They can be purchased for about 1 cent each. The 

 scions can often be gathered. They should be the short 

 sprouts of the previous year's growth. They are best selected 

 from thrifty trees on or near the ends of fully exposed 

 branches. Avoid long sap sprouts with long spaces between 

 the buds or nodes. Scions may be gathered at any time after 

 the leaves drop, when not frozen, until the buds swell in the 

 spring. If not used immediately, they should be kept cov- 

 ered with damp moss in a cool, moist place, to keep them 

 fresh and plump. Varieties should always be marked with 

 their names. The stocks, or roots, may be stored in the same 



1 Nature Leaflet No. 44, April 10, 1910. 



