696 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



ed for many experiments on the pear and apple, 

 and /or many new and valuable varieties of these 

 fruits. By impregnating the flowers of one kind 

 with the pollen or larina of another, and planting 

 the seed thus matured, a new variety is invariably 

 produced — sometimes partaking of the qualities 

 of both, yet, often superior to each, which shows 

 the necessity of grafting and budding, when 

 a particular variety is to be increased, as all are 

 liable to mix whilst in bloom, the wind wafting 

 the larina gently from flower to flower. It is 

 owing 10 this promiscuous intermingling of difler- 

 ent kinds of trees that we see so many varieties 

 of Iruit ; occasionally a superior variety is produced 

 from seed, and again a favorite lost. 



In order to I'acililate a thorough knowledge of 

 propagating, and introduction of good fruits among 

 us, we will give brief directions for the most popu- 

 lar modes of propagation, and a list of the most 

 approved varieties of li-uit. 



Budding. — This mode has several advantages 

 over grafting : it is more readily perlbrmed, with 

 fewer implements, less preparation, and with great- 

 er success, it does not injure the stalk if unsuc- 

 cessful, as is the case in grafting, and the opera- 

 tion may be repeated several times during the 

 season, as its performance is protracted for some 

 one or other of the varieties, for three or four 

 months. June, July and August is the proper 

 season for budding the aj)ple and pear. The cher- 

 ry should be budded early in June, while the 

 plants are in thrifty growth. The plum should 

 also be budded in June. And the peach and 

 nectarine may be done as late as September. 



The first consideration is to provide stocks, if 

 this provision has not been made. Seeds may be 

 collected with ease — those of stone fruit may be 

 deposited in a hole in the garden, and buried su- 

 perficially in autumn, to expose them to the ex- 

 panding influence of the frost. Early in the spring 

 plant in drills which have been well prepared, atid 

 made rich with good soil, or decomposed manure 

 in order to shove the young plants with vigor. If 

 they have been well treated, the peach can be 

 budded in September following, and they usually 

 succeed best if worked on young stocks of the 

 first year's growth. 



A bud is an organized plant in embryo, with 

 roots, branches and Ibliage, and, like a seed, ca- 

 pable of the reproduction of its species. The 

 process of budding is the transferring this embryo 

 plant from the parent tree to another tree of the 

 same genus, if not of the same species. To ren- 

 der this successful, it is necessary, 1st, that the 

 bud be in a proper condition to Iransfi^r. 2:1, that 

 the stock be in a condition to receive and nourish 

 it. And Jastly, that the transfer be skilfully 

 made. The principal precaution should be to 

 choose young, healthy wood, full of sap, the bud 

 should be matured and peel freely, as this is ne- 

 cessary for the insertion of the bud, and indicates 

 the presence of the cambium, which is the soft 

 partially formed wood under the bark, and is the 

 source of nourishment to the bud, and the bond of 

 union between it and the stock. 



There are many modes of inserting buds, but 

 we shall confine ourselves to the most successful 

 method — Shield or T budding is thus perlbrmed 

 —select a smooth part of the slock, rather from 

 4han toward the sun, make a horizontal cut across 

 aiie rind into the wood, from the middle of this 



transverse cut, make a slit downward an inch or 

 more in length— the thin end of the haft of the 

 budding kniie, or if you have not a budding knife 

 convenient, the thumb nail will answer as a sub- 

 stitute, is then to be applied to the top of the in- 

 cision, which is done by gently raising the top, 

 and running the end of the halt downward on each 

 side to the end of the incision. The incision being 

 made for the reception of the bud, the next thing 

 is to prepare the bud by placing the scion in the 

 left hand, the knife must then be inserted more 

 than halfan inch above the eye, and drawn through 

 half an inch below the bud, cutting it out with 

 nearly half the wood, cut the bark off square, half 

 an inch above the eye, before taking out the wood, 

 to fit the transverse cut in the stock ; this done 

 the wood ig to be careflilly taken out, and it is 

 then to be inserted neatly into the incision, by 

 pressing it gently down between the bark and 

 wood on the tree until the bud fits neatly with the 

 transverse cut in the stock. Rind it carefully 

 with a strip of cloth ^ of an inch in width, begin- 

 ning first at the bottom of the incision and then 

 continuing it to the top, over and above where 

 the cut is made, taking care not lo let the bandage 

 cover the eye. Cut off" the top of the stock to 

 within 5 or 6 inches of the bud. In ten days af- 

 ter budding, such as have adhered may be known 

 by their fresh appearance at the eye, and in three 

 or four weeks, all those which have succeeded 

 will be firmly united with the stock, and as the 

 buds are now beginning to swell, the ligatures 

 should be taken off. 'i'he shield and bud now 

 swell in common with the other parts of the stock; 

 nothing more is required than to keep the stock 

 free fi'om shoots, so that the bud may receive the 

 full force of the sap, and before the rising of the 

 sap in the spring they should be headed down 

 close to the bud by an oblique cut terminating an 

 eighth of an inch above the shield. 



Grafting. — March is the general season for 

 grafting, in this latitude, though it is occasionally 

 performed earlier or later. Tlie scions for grafting 

 should be cut before the buds begin to swell. The 

 grafts are most likely to live and thrive if inserted 

 when the sap circulates freely, lor then the 

 wounds soonest heal. 



The materials and implements necessary for 

 grafting are 



\st. A sharp knife to cut and pare the grafts 

 and stock : 



2d. A strong knife and email mallet, to split the 

 larger stalks, and a small iron, or hard' wood 

 wedge to insert in the clelt while the scion is fitted 

 to its place : 



3cZ. Strips of cloth on which have been spread 

 some grafiing wax, to bind the stock and graft. 

 A grafting wax which we have used with great 

 success is made by mixing and melting together 

 four parts ofrozin, two parts of tallow, and one of 

 bees wax ; this may be applied over the grafted 

 part in a thin layer, or in case of small stocks, on 

 strips of cloth, as recommended above, and bound 

 around the wound. The wax is applied — 



1st. To prevent the waste of sap from the wound. 



2c?. The too sudden drying of the wood, and 



2d. Exclusion of rain water from the cleft. 



Success in a measure depends on the exclusion 

 of air and water. The object to be arrived at in 

 the process of grafting is to bring the inner bark 

 and the sap wood of the stalk and scion in nice 



