34 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



natural parent. It is next important, that scions 

 be taken from trees that have attained to the ma- 

 turity of full bearing. Perhaps cultivators, in gene- 

 ral, are not apprized of the fact, that, if a scion be 

 taken from a seedling tree of one or two years old, 

 it will retain the character and undergo the same 

 annual change as the seedling tree itself, whatever 

 be the age of the stock into which it is inserted ; 

 and that it will remain unproductive of fruit, until 

 the seedling tree has acquired its proper age and 

 maturity. It is strongly to be suspected, that nur- 

 sery men, either from ignorance or indifference, 

 have disregarded this circumstance, and imposed 

 upon purchasers trees of this description, by which 

 their just expectations have been disappointed. 

 Scions are directed to be cut in March, before the 

 buds begin to swell ; and in order to preserve them 

 in good condition for grafting, they must be placed, 

 with their lower ends in the ground, in some dry 

 part of the cellar, till wanted. But some expe- 

 rienced operators prefer cutting their scions as near 

 the time they are to be employed as may be con- 

 venient. Scions should always be taken from the 

 extremities of the most thrifty and best bearing 

 trees, and of the last year's growth, except only 

 just enough of the growth of the year before to 

 fix in the earth, to preserve them moist until they 

 are to be used. In the Edinburgh encyclopedia it 

 is advised to cut the scions several weeks before 

 the season for grafting arrives ; the reason is, that 

 experience has shown, that grafting may most suc- 

 cessfully be performed, by allowing the stock to 

 have some advantage over the graft in forwardness 

 of vegetation. It is desirable, that the sap of the 

 stock should be in brisk motion at the time of 

 grafting ; but by this time, the buds of the scion, 

 if left on the tree, would be equally advanced ; 

 whereas the scions, being gathered early, the buds 

 are kept back, and ready only to swell out, when the 



