362 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[June 10, 



and the whole made public for the benefit of the com- 

 munity. 



Mr Selby by stating the time and manner of taking 

 suckers from corn has added an item of informa- 

 tion on the subject which we hope will be acceptable, 

 and believe will prove serviceable to many who are en- 

 gaged in the cultivation of this important article. 



TO THE KDITOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



County of Norfolk, May, 28, 1825. 



Sir — Mr Capron of" Altleborough, in an arti- 

 cle which heads jour last paper, ap[)ears to 

 have attempted some experiments lliis season 

 in relation to grafting, with a view to ascertain 

 whether cions taken IVom a fruit-bearing brancii 

 will produce fruit on tiie stock to which it is 

 transferred, sooner than (hose taken from the 

 stock of the tree, or what arc called by most 

 people, suckers, but which are properly, per- 

 haps, denominated " false branches." 



This subject is by no means a new, nnr an 

 unimportant one, and 1 have, myself, more than 

 once sugg'ested the propriety of attention to this 

 useful branch of horticulture, :k I have found 

 from my observation of the habits of gardeners 

 and farmers generally, Ihat the mo.-t vigorous 

 cions have been considered (he most proper for 

 insertion; whereas, in most cases, tiio contrary 

 isthe fact. 1 say -in most cases, because most 

 people look to the Ibrifliness, and not to ihe 

 fruitfulncss of the dee oi; braiich from which 

 they take their cion. 



Mr Capron's notion (lui( cions, cut I'rom any 

 part of (he tree will be brought back to what 

 lie calls " the first or primitive state" 1 i!o not 

 precisely understand ; bu( I pr^iiuie he means 

 that they will all require an etpja! (ime bei'oro 

 they come to a bearing or a (Voilful state. 



A moment's enquiry will, perhaps, se( iis 

 righ( on (his subject; am! wlien Mr Capron has 

 made his experiment, he will be able (o deciilc 

 how far he is correct in his theory. 



All trees that are in a bearing slate prodrice 

 both fruit and wood buds or branches, and those 

 who are accustomed to allcnd to (he subject, 

 easily dis(inguish one from (hti other. Wood 

 buds are generally known by their flalness ;ukd 

 pointed form ; whereas fruit buds are gentrally 

 round and full or plump. 1 speak of fiiiil buds, 

 not fruit spurs, for we never graft with spurs. 



Fruit branches are generally those that grow 

 at the extremities, or near the extremities of 

 lateral limbs. 1 say, generally, because in some 

 sorts of fruits they are found on Ihe vertical, as 

 well as on the horizontal blanches, and al the 

 extremities of the shoots o! the [ireceding 

 year even. 



These fruit buds contr.in Ihe germ of the blos- 

 som and Iruit which nature has already prepar- 

 ed to be put forth, and if they remain on Ihe 

 mother stock, and it be a healthy one, they will 

 probably proti|,ce their fruit, and if ihe season 

 ■be favourable, bring it to maturity. By trans- 

 ferring this fruit liearing branch, or a |)orlion 

 of it to another slock, does It alter its charac- 

 Jer, or destroy the germ of frui! which pxisled 

 in it before it was removed? This Mr Capron 

 iippears (n expect i( will do, and that it will do 

 longer he n frail, but a -jiiood branch, or bud, as 

 soon as it is transferred to the foster parent. 

 Yet it is no uncommon thing fur ap[)les and 

 pears as well as Ihe slone fruits lo show their 



blossoms the firs( year (hey are grafted, or the 

 spring after (hey are budded. 



Mos( cultivators of peaches must have observ- 

 ed that when they insert a double or triple bud, 

 one blossom will show ilself, if not (wo, where 

 (he bud burs(s in (he spring; and (hough i( 

 usually falls off, and the wood bud pushes for- 

 ward, yet the only reason why it does not set 

 its fruit is, (if it be a female blossom) because 

 the shoot has not obtained sufficient vigour (o 

 nourish it, and the iruit falls for want of support. 

 The fruit, however, often forms, but in (his 

 case, (he shoot grows languidly until the fruit 

 falls, when i( puts forth wi(h vigor, and if prop- 

 erly managed, will, (he next season, show good 

 fruit. 1 have now several peaches growmg on 

 trees into which (heir buds were inser(ed Inst 

 fall, and ahhough (hey may no( and probably 

 ivill not come to maturity for want of vigour in 

 the ivood bud to support them, yp( i( (ends (o 

 show (hat Mr Capron's ideas on the su^ijec( are 

 erroneous; 1 have indeed, fruit on a number ol 

 trees, from buds that were inserted the fall be- 

 fore last. Depend upon it that cions taken 

 from fruit lioaring branches, will hear fruit much 

 sooner thin (hose (aken from luxurian( wood 

 branches. The cion in (he foster parent par- 

 takes of a!! the properties (hat i( bore while on 

 the parent stock. If it wasa//7/i( branch there, 

 it will be a I'ruil branch here; and if it was a 

 glutton there, il will be (oo luxuriant here. 



I have gone into this de(ail wi(h a view to 

 correct a mistaken no(ion, which prevails gen- 

 erally, (hat the best cions and the best buds are 

 those which are t.-,ken from (he most vigorous 

 shoots. 



Cions should be taken from heahhy fnili icar- 

 ins; trees, and as far as possible from the lateral 

 fruit bearing branches. j 



Those who wish to have good fruit, must take 

 the cions themselves from the trees that Ihey 

 /rnoTii have borne the Iruit they wish lo gel ; 

 for there is scarcely any (hing in which (here i 

 are so many mis(akes made, a-nd so much use- 

 less labour incurred, as (here is in grafting and 

 re-grafting t'ruit trees. j 



With respect to putting pears into foreign 

 stock*, Dr Tliacher is essentially correct ; but ^ 

 the Portugal Quince stock is,for allthesolt but- 

 tery pears, [ireferable to (he free stock; and 

 were i( no( subjec( to the borer in (his coiinliy,! 

 I should recommend i(. This is, however, a| 

 seriou-' objection to the Quince stock here; but 

 in France they are principally used for the soft 

 llesh pears, and everyone, who Ins visited that 

 country in the autumn, can testily as to the su- 

 1 perioritv of their pears, over (hose of any other 

 country whatever. — I must beg pardon of you, 

 sir, as well as the publick, fur troubling ihem 

 with (his long at(icle, and remain 



Your humble servt. 



():^The author of the foregoing has laid us iindcr 

 great obligations, and a continuance of similar favours 

 is resfectfully solicited by the editor. 



Fiom Tiansadiuns of Ihe London Ilorlicultural tiociely. 



METHOD OF SECITRING THE SCION WHEN FITTED 

 TO THE STOCK IN GRAFTINO. 

 L'y U.wiD I'owEi.T., Esq. of Loughton, Essex. 

 Having for the last three seasons found great 

 convenience in a method of securing Ihe .scion 

 in grafting, I beg leave lo submit (o (he Society 

 the following accoun( of it. 



It is simply this: — Grafting wax properly pre- 

 pared, when in i(s mel{eds(a(e, is spread even I / 

 on sheets of moderately thin brown paper,vvhich 

 when cold, is cut into slips about three quarters 

 of an inch wide. 



When one of these slips is to be used, warni 

 it with the breath, and bind it round (he slock 

 and scion, pressing il gently w ith the hand, when 

 it will ba found to ailhere so closely as to ex- 

 clude both air and moisture. No further (rouble 

 is necessary, though i( may be as well (o look 

 over (he grafts occasionally, pressing the paper 

 close ivith (he hand, where i( may have belbre 

 missed; but afler a few days' exposure (o (he 

 warm(h of the sun, it will, generally, be found 

 adhering so closely as to want no further atten- 

 tion. I h,ave usually secured the whole by a small 

 band of bass, but in several instances have found 

 (he s(rength of I ho paper suflicienl (o sustain Ihe 

 scion in its place. With (he advantage ofavuid- 

 ing any unequal pressure of the bark, the ruat- 

 ness and convenience of this method will, I dnibl 

 not, recommenil i( to the practice of amateurs, 

 and 1 have equal confidence (ha( its utility will 

 secure i( a favoutsible reception with practical 

 gardeners. 



P. S. The grafting wax is recommended by 

 Miller, and also in (he several Cyclopedias, un- 

 der Ihe head of Grafting, as composed of (he 

 following materials; with trifling variations as 

 to projiortion. I have used 



1 lb. of pitch, 



1 ItT of resin, 



i lb. ol bees-i\ ax, 



I lb. of bogs'-lard, 



J lb. of turpentine, 

 melted and well mixed together. By placing the 

 composition in an earthen pan over boiling wa- 

 ter, if may bo kept in such a stale of fluidity as 

 lo be easily sj)read otr the paper with a brush ; 

 heated in this manner the wax appears to re- 

 tain its jdiabjjily better than when exposed 

 more immediately to the action of lire. 



1 have the pleasure to hear from a practical 

 gardener who tried the above method last sea- 

 .■ion, Ihat he lound it to answer completely, ex- 

 cc|)( in an instance where he had been over 

 sparing in material. A pint of the wax should 

 bo spread evenly on (he paper, and not too 

 (hiuly. 



NATUR.'^L HISTORY. 



The following nvlicle, from (he Eastern Star, is fron-. 

 tlie able pen of the lli-v. Dr. HAnnis, of Porchester.— 

 Scientific descriptions of the more rare and curious pro- 

 ductions of nature are not only intere.';(ing and amusing, 

 but useful. They afford Ihat knowledge which enlarges 

 and gives more beneficial eflect to the dominion " over 

 the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air," which 

 was originally delegated lo Man by his Creator. 



" A very curious and beautiful animal was dis- 

 covered, in the month oflMarch, 1825, at Mn- 

 chias, in the Slate of Maina. It U n non-desrrifjt 

 species, allied to the SOKEX Cristatu.s cf Lin- 

 naus, Hadhted Moi.e of Pinnant, and of (be ge- 

 nus CO.NDYLUKA oi Jlligcr. If seems lo hold 

 an intermediate rank between the Talpj: (Moles) 

 and SoKRES (Shrew-mice) ; having, iu its form 

 and habits, an affinity (o the former, while its 

 (eelh closel}' resemble those ot the latter. Its 

 shape is like (ha( of the mole, but the body is 

 longer, being four inches and a half from the 



