134 



BUDDING AND GRAFTING. 



be used. When the work is done in this way the resu t is a very 

 strong growth from the scion. If the suckers are pinched off and 

 the whole strength of the root forced into one shoot, the result, on 

 rich land and in the case of strong, healthy stocks, will be to give 

 a growth often exceeding four feet in height. Sometimes the 

 growth in this latter case will be so heavy that the branches are 

 liable to be broken off in the wind, and should be tied to stakes 

 with soft string. The scions should be from four to six inches long. 



Grafting the Cherry. The cherry may be root-grafted in- 

 doors in the winter. When this is done what is called side-grafting 

 is employed, and it gives results far ahead of any other method. 

 But with the best of care the losses from in-door grafting of this 

 fruit makes it very unsatisfactory. Much better results will be 

 achieved by side-grafting them at the crown of the plant on stocks 

 well established in the open ground, as in the plan recommended 

 for propagating the plum. In regard to this 

 fruit it is also reported that, as in the case of 

 the plum, the work may be done after the 

 stocks start into growth a little, providing the 

 scions are as far advanced. The scions should 

 be from four to six inches long. 



Grafting the Grape is done most safely 

 very early in the spring, even before a sign of 

 growth appears, but it may also be grafted 

 about the time the first leaves are nicely ex- 

 panded, if the scions are kept dormant until 

 that time. The work should always be done 

 below the surface of the ground. Any form 

 of graft may be used, but that most commonly 

 used is cleft-grafting, as shown in Fig. 103, 

 In making a cleft-graft upon a grape root It is 

 often necessary to saw the cleft in the stock 

 with a fine saw on account of the crooked, 

 twisted grain of the wrod, which does not 

 allow it to split straight. Some growers do 

 not use any wax around the graft but simply 

 cover it with a mound of well packed earth up 

 to the upper bud of the scion. In grafting 

 after \he leaves are expanded some propaga- FIG. 104. Grafted 

 tors prefer to use side-grafting, and do not P lum '^ graft 

 cut the vine severely until it is believed the ^ 

 scion has grown fast to the stock, when the 

 vine is cut entirely away. Whip-grafting is also used for this 

 purpose. The scions should be about six or eight inches long. 



To change the varieties in a vineyard it is sometimes practiced 

 1 o graft on a cane from the old vine. In this case a cane from the 

 old vine long enough to reach nearly midway between the vine is 

 grafted with a scion which should be at least two feet long. When 

 grafted the graft, including the cane and scion, should be buried 



