246 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



[Feb. 25, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1825. 



iFarmcv'iS Calcntrar.- 



It is now about the proper season to cut scions 

 for grafting. Dr Deane observes tiiat '• scions, 

 for grafting, should aluays be taken from the 

 most thril^ty trees, not from those, especially, 

 which are old and decaying. The time for 

 cutting them is in February or March, just be- 

 fore the buds begin to swell, and appear fresh, 

 which will be earlier or later, according to the 

 season and climate. They should be taken from 

 the ends of limbs of the former year's groivlh 

 — not from young suckers of an over quick 

 growth — and kept moist in a cellar, willi the 

 lower ends inserted in moist clay, or mud, till 

 the proper time of grafting. In such a posilion 

 they will keep well for two months or more, 

 before grafting." 



Mr Coxe says " the scions should be of the 

 growth of the preceding year, cut froin i, illhy, 

 bearing trees ; t'lfv sJiould be kept fro::i -lutcr, 

 wliieli, by saturating the sap vessels, ■wovJJ prevent 

 their imiibiitg the sap of the stocks into ze'iich they 

 may be inserted.'''' 



In Dr Thacher's " .American Orchardist,'''' we 

 have the following observations on the subject. 

 " Scions are directed (o be cut in Marcli, before 

 the buds begin to swell ; ami in order to pre- 

 serve them in good condition for grafting, they 

 must be pl.-iced, with their lower ends in '.he 

 ground, in some dry part of the cellar fill wnnted. 

 But some experienced operators prefer cutting 

 their scions as near the time they are to be em- 

 ployed as may be convenient. Scions sbould 

 always be taken from the extremities of the 

 most Ihril'ty 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 (hern moist till they are us- 

 ed. In the Edinburgh Encyclnpedia it is ad- 

 vised to cut the scions several weeks before the 

 season of grafiiug arrives; (he reason is that 

 experience hath shown, (hat grafting may most 

 successfully be performed, by allowing the 

 stock to have some advan{age over the graft 

 in forwardness of vegetation. It is desirable 

 tliat the sap of the stock should be in a brisk 

 motion at the time of grafting; but by (his time 

 the buds of the scion, if left on the tree, 

 would be equally advanced ; whereas, the sci- 

 ons being gathered early, the buds are kept 

 back, and ready only to swell out, when (he 

 graft is placed on the stock. The selecting of 

 proper scions, the writer observes, is a matter 

 of the greatest importance, if we wish to enjoy 

 the full advantage, wliicli 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 (ree, where 

 the wood ha? freely enjoyed (he benefit of sun 

 and air. If the tree be in a luxuriant state, the 

 grafts are very frequently taken from (he ex- 

 tremide'* of (he bearing branches; but if it be 

 in a debilitated condition, the most healthy shoots 

 in the centre of the tree .should bo enijdoyed. 

 Tlie extremity of the scion should be cut oft', 

 leaving (our or five eyes or buds, as the middle 

 part affords (he best graft." 



nr Thicher liUewise observes — " I'orhaps 

 citltiv il^r*. in geneial, are not apprized of the 



fact, that if a scion bo taken from a see'lling tree 

 of one or two years old, it TiiiH retain the r.haracter 

 and undergo the same annual change as (he seed- 

 ting tree itself xvha'ever be the age of the slack into 

 which it is inserted ; and thai it will remain vn- 

 produclive of fruit, unt'd the seedling tree lias ac- 

 quired its proper age and maturity, it is strongly 

 to be suspected (liat nursery men, either from 

 ignorance or indifference, have d.sregardfd (his 

 circums(ance, and imposed upon purchasers 

 trees of this description, by which their just 

 expectations have been disappointed.''' 



Mr Preston, of Stock|)ort, Penn. gives the 



following as one of the precepts of a German 



Orchardist, wjio " had been bred to orcharding'''' 



in his native country. " Be sure in selecting 



the grafts [scions for grafting] to cut (hem in 



such a manner, as to alivays take the buli(c. be- 



j tvi'ccn the yearns growth, where the wood is curled 



\ open anil porous, to receive the sap readily from 



the stock ; and such scions will grow and flour- 



i ish, when if taken from any other part of ihe 



I (wig they would not grow." He says, a^o, that 



I" by stricdy adhering (o (his," and other rules, 



j which are given at length in (he New I^ngland 



{ Farmer, vol. i. p. 121, '■ I grafted several ap- 



I pie trees as late as the latter part of Jnne, that 



tloniished and grew well, and are the besi: of 



bearing (rees." 



Dr Thachcr, it will be observed, (as before 

 quoted) recommends taking scions of (he last 

 year's growth, " except only just enough of the 

 year before tofx in the earth, to preserve them 

 moist until they are used ;" but does not ad- 

 vise to set any part of the growth of the year 

 before in the stock. But, [lerhap', (he open 

 and porous (( x(ure of (lie wood at the place of 

 the junction of the grnw(hs of (he two years, 

 might render it aiivisable (o set that part of (he 

 scion in the stock, as suggested by Mr Preston. 

 The porous nature of (hat ]iart of the scion 

 would, perhaps, f,\cili(a(e (ho attraction of sap 

 from the stock, as well as absorb moisture from 

 the earth. On this subject, however, we speak 

 with diffidence; and would ralher suggest it as 

 a hint for experiment, than as a rule for prac- 

 tice. 



The following are Mr Forsyth's directions 

 relative to this subject. " Grafts or scions 

 should be cut oi'f from the trees before their 

 buds begin (o swell, which is generally (liree 

 weeks or a mon(h before the season for griift- 

 ing ; (lierefore, when (hey are cut off, they 

 should be laid in the ground with the cut down- 

 ward-:, burying them half (heir leng(h, and cov- 

 ering (heir (ops wi(h dry li(ter to prcven( (heir 

 drying ; if a small joint of the former year's 

 wood be cut off with the scion, it will preserve 

 it (he be((er, and when they are grafted this 

 may be cut oil; [Mr F. does not say must be cut \ 

 oflj for at (he same time the scions must be cu( i 

 (o a proper lengdi before they are inserted in j 

 the slocks; hut till then Ihe shoots should re- 

 main of their full lcnp;th, as (hey were (akcn j 

 Irom the iree, which will better preserve (hem ' 

 from shrinking; it' these scions are to be carri- 

 eil a considerable disiance it will be proper to | 

 put their ends into a lump of clay, and to wrap | 

 Ihcm up in moss, which will preserve (hem I 

 fresh foi a mondi or longer ; bu( tho'^e should 

 be cut off from die trees earlier than (hose 

 which are grafted near the place where the 

 trees are growing'." 



We have been informed that it is a practice 

 with some nursery men to insert scions, for 

 o;rnfting, in potatoes, in order to preserve the 

 principle of vegetable life. We know of no ob- 

 jections to (his mode of proceeding, but should 

 believe it cxpedien( to take (he scions from (he 

 potatoes, and wipe the ends dry, which had been 

 inserted, some hours before they are made use 

 o( lor grafting, lest being saturated with the 

 juice of the po(a(oes, they should not so readily 

 im!ii''e the sap of the stocks. Care should, 

 however, be taken not to permit them to be- 

 come in any degree shrivelled, or the pores 

 closed for the want of a due degree of moisture. 



JVaiional Legislature. 



SEN.\TE.— Fee. 11. The Commissioner of Publick 

 Builitings was ordered to take an inventory of the furni- 

 ture of the President's house, wheu most convenient to 

 the I'rssiilent. 



A petition of Thom.Ts Cooper, praying that a fine 

 paid liy him for a lilitl on John Adams, tnimerly Presi- 

 dent ol the U. S. under the Sedition Law, should be- 

 refundtd, was referred to a select committee. 



It was voied to continue the appropriation of §28,567 

 to defray the expense of continuing surveys for Internal 

 rmprovenients. 



Fr:R. 14. A Message was received from the Presi- 

 dent trriiisinitliiig a report from tlie Secretary of \\'ar, 

 relaiing to internal improvements of the country, be- 

 twei a the Potomac and Ohio Rivers, between the Ohio 

 Rivers and Lal^e Erie, between the Alleghany and 

 Schuylkill Rivers, the Delaware and Rariton, between 

 Buzzard's and Barnstable Bays, and the Narr.agansett 

 Roads and Boston Harbour. This report speaks fa- 

 vonr:ibly of the practicability and ( spediency of the 

 communicalions between Buzzard's and Barnstable 

 Bays, and'Naragansett Reads and Boston Harbour. 

 ^ Fee. 15. The bills for the punishment of Crimes 

 and to amend the Judicial System were discussed, but 

 no deci.^ion liad. 



Feb. 1G. A bill providing that, after a certain pe- 

 riod, the public ships of War shall be supplied, exclu- 

 sively, with canvass, &c. from American hemp and 

 lias, was read a first ti-me. 



HOUSE. — Feb. 11. A eommunication was laid be- 

 fore the House, relative to discriminating duties impos- 

 ed on vessels of the U.S. and their cargoes in the Ntlli- 

 erlands. 



Feb. 14. A Flag, the work of the female orphans 

 of the school of industry in Wnshiugton, was present- 

 ed to the House, with a letter from Mr Barnard, their 

 instructor, and was referred to the Military Committee. 



The Georgia Militia Claims were debated on, but 

 no decision obtained. 



A Message was received from the House relating to 

 claims of the citizens of the United States on the gov- 

 trnment of the iXetherlands. 



The Georgia Militia Claims were discussed and re- 

 jected. 



Feb. 16. The amendment, which proposes to in- 

 sert $14,000 for new furniture for the President's 

 House, was agreed to ; as was also another to appro- 

 priate $5000 for improving the grounds round the Pres- 

 ident's House. 



Mr Hamilton moved that the House take up the bill 

 providing (or the Massachusetts Militia Claims, but the 

 House refused to art upon the subject. 



Feb. 17. X Message was received from the Presi- 

 dent, relative to securing the District of Columliia a- 

 gaiiist contagious diseasi-S from abroad. Likewise an- 

 nther Message transmitting copies of the correspon- 

 dence with the Government of France. 



Massachiiscl Is Legislature, 



SENATE. — Fr.n. IC. A Committee was appointed 

 !o inquire if any andi\liat alterations are necessary id 

 esribllshing the " Law of the Road." 



A resolve passed, authorizing the appointment of 

 commissioners for running the boundary lint between 

 tl\js state and .New lla.npshiie. , 



