OS* FRUIT TREES. OJ 



imposed upon purchasers trees of this description, by 

 which their just expectations have been disappointed. 

 Scions if they are to be transported to a distance may 

 be cut at any time from January to March, before the 

 buds begin to swell ; and in order to preserve them in 

 good condition for grafting, their cut ends should be 

 covered with grafting clay or wax, or the whole scion 

 may be enveloped in swamp moss. But experience is 

 decidedly in favour of taking the scions immediately 

 from the tree at the time they are to be employed, if 

 convenient. 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 ar- 

 rives ; the reason is. that experience has shown, that 

 grafting may most successfully be performed, by al- 

 lowing 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 advanc- 

 ed ; whereas the scions, being gathered early, the buIs 

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

 graft is placed on the 'stock. The selecting proper 

 scions, the writer observes, is a matter of the greatest 

 importance, if we wish to enjoy the full advantage 

 which may be derived from grafting. They should 

 be taken from a healthy tree in full bearing, and from 

 the outer side of the horizontal branches of such a 

 tree, where the wood has freely enjoyed the benefits 

 of sun and air. It should be remarked that a scion 

 taken from a full bearing tree and inserted into a tree 

 having attained to the maturity of bearing, will ma- 

 ture fruit sooner than if the same scion is inserted into 



