HORTICULTURE 163 



from the portion above the bud; while a piece-root-grafted tree with 

 a long scion is practically the same as a tree propagated from a cut- 

 ting, as the scion will strike root and the new plant will be upon its 

 own root. In regions where severe winters do not enter as a factor 

 there is undoubtedly a number of reasons why budding will be the 

 most desirable method of reproducing horticultural varieties. 

 (F. B. 157.) 



Regrafting Bearing Trees. Regrafting is sometimes very desir- 

 able when it is found, after trees have come into bearing, that their 

 fruit is worthless. When the trees are not too old and are in a 

 healthy condition the change can be made with good results. But 

 when the trees have attained a considerable age, and have lost their 

 vitality to a considerable extent, it would be a waste of time and ex- 

 pense to attempt to change them. Better plant new trees. If, how- 

 ever, in the case of healthy, vigorous trees, it is considered advisable 

 for graft tops, it is not best to do this all at one time. Only about one- 

 third of the tree should be grafted in the first year, selecting branches 

 in the center and top of the tree. The next year another third may 

 be grafted, and the remainder the following year. (F. B. 113.) 



Root Grafting. Thrifty 1-year-old stocks grown from seed are 

 taken up in the fall and stored in a cellar or buried in the soil, where 

 they will keep fresh and be accesible at any time in winter. The 

 scions having been secured in the fall, the work of grafting may be 

 performed at any time during the winter. The roots only are used 

 in this method, and they may be cut in two or more sections, accord- 

 ing to their size and length or the desire of the propagator. But the 

 larger or stronger roots as a rule may be relied upon for the most 

 satisfactory results. (F. B. 113.) 



TOP WORKING ORCHARD TREES. 



The top working of orchard trees is concerned with the insertion 

 of buds or scions in the tops of the trees after they are established in 

 the orchard. It may be practiced upon trees of bearing age which it 

 is desirable to transform into better sorts ; or it may refer also to trees 

 recently planted which may be top-worked for other purposes. The 

 fruit grower may have planted varieties that are not adapted to his 

 climatic conditions, or when the orchard reaches bearing age, may 

 find that the varieties are not true to name, and are inferior or even 

 worthless. In many of the orchards that were planted about twenty- 

 five years or more ago, especially in the Southern States, the trees 

 are of varieties that were brought from sections having entirely dif- 

 ferent climatic conditions, and as they are not adapted to the South, 

 the orchards have been unprofitable. Under any of the conditions 

 mentioned, it may be possible to convert the orchard into a paying 

 investment by top working the trees with buds or scions of better 

 kinds, and it is this form of top working that is most widely known 

 and practiced. Top working may be useful also in building up broken 

 down tops of highly prized trees. It may be employed in grafting 

 varieties into the tops of self-sterile trees to insure cross pollination. 

 It may be practiced in re-forming the tops of trees like the peach, 



