108 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



TSJ3 GENESEE TARDIER 



SATURDAY. APRIL 9, 1M1 



INGRAFTING. 



Ingrafting is a process by which one tree is 

 made by uniting with another of the same spe- 

 cies, to change its flowers, fruit, woody 6 

 bre, and leaves, and to remain, nnd retain its 

 new ferni, without any change or effect, from 

 the Stock; except some trees are dwarfed, by 

 grafting on stocks of slow and diminutive 

 growth, pear? on quinces, apples on paradise 

 and crabs, &c. but in no case is the fruit in a- 

 ny way, as to flavor or color, controlled by the 

 stock, but it remains a mere passive agent, 

 sending ><p its supply of 6ap, which by some 

 inscrutable operation of either the wood ves 

 suls, or the action of the leaves, is manipula- 

 ted into fruit, whose flavour, contour, and co 

 lor, are as different os any two opposites in 

 nature. 



That a simple blossom bud inoculated into 

 the bark of a different variety, where the sap 

 cannot pass the ine hundredth part of an inch 

 through the vessels and organs of the inocula- 

 tion, before it reaches the bud, should be so 

 radically changed, as to oause it to produce 

 the first year, a fruit perfect after its own kind, 

 is one of those occult operations of nature 

 locked in 'he arcana of inscrutability, beyond 

 even the reach of human reason or analysis. 



We do rjot intend to make a pathological 

 essay on this subject, but a plain matter of 

 fact description of the most approved method 

 of performing the operation, as the season is 

 iast approaching, when those who wish to 

 have the advantago of the cultivation and per- 

 fection of those fruits which the toil and expe- 

 rience of ages have brought to their present 

 state, for ten minntes easy work, should be up 

 and doing. It is so easy, that no man who 

 lias sufficient mechanism in his composition to 

 make an ox-bow pin, should hesitate to try his 

 hand at it. 



Cions should in all cases bo cut before the 

 buds expand, and in all cases be set after tbey 

 fairly start in the stock. 



Tbis is a general rule, although it will some- 

 times succeed under totally reversed circum- 

 stances. 



Cions should be kept in a cool place, on the 

 ground in a cellar, or buried in the earth, so 

 that they Joso none of their original freshness 

 tmd vitality. 



A saw, cbissel, a stout and sbarp grafting 

 knife, and grafting elay or composition, are all 

 the materials that are required. 



Cleft grafting— This method is the oldest, 

 and most generally followed in this country, 

 and for those sized stocks, whioh are not so 

 large as to refuse to open for the cioij, perhaps 

 ihe best. It is performed by outting off the 

 stock, smoothing the end and splitting it down 

 some two or three inches. Cut the cion in the 

 stupe of a thin wedge with a shooldcr on 

 each side; this is inserted bark to bark, until 

 the shoulder sets upon tho end of the stock. 

 It may be quartered or halved, so as to take 

 two or four cions, for greater security, into 

 each stock, wind tbc end with flax or tow, and 

 -aver smoothly and firmly with the composi- 

 tion. 



Oeum ginftingr-Ts tr?exl when Oio Btoclrs f 



April 9, 1831. 



are very large and unyielding, and is performed 

 in the following manner : At a period when 

 t!:e bark will peel freely, saw off the troe with- 

 in two feet or more of the ground, at about 

 four pla'os make a slit through the bark, 

 as in budding, about two inches down, and 

 earefully raise the bark on each side; cut the 

 cion in the form of a wedge on one side only, 

 with a sheulder to rest upon the stock ; insert 

 it under the bark, tie firmly and clay as before- 

 In this manner they grow luxuriantly, and re 

 quire supporting to protect thorn against the 

 winds the first and second year. 



Saddle grafting — Is used in cases where the 

 stock is from two to four times as large as the 

 cion, and it makes a fine scar and sound un- 

 ion. Cut the stock to the shape of an obtuse 

 wedge, having the apex in the centre, or on 

 one side ; cut slits and raise the bark as in 

 crown grafting. Split the cion in the centre, 

 with a narrow sharp blade, smooth the two 

 prongs, and bring them to a nice thin point, 

 not cutting the outside bark at all, and of the 

 right lengths to straddle the wedge, and allow 

 the points to enter under the raised bark of the 

 stock, and the point of the wedge resting a' 

 the extremity of the split in the cion. It wil' 

 make a better fit, to make with the thumb nail 

 a partial break or bend in the branches of the 

 cion, where it turns the angles on the stock. — 

 Tie and clay as before. 



Whip, whip sad 'die, and tongue grafting— Are 

 operations used when the stock and cion are 

 of a size, for nurseries ; or where the small 

 limbs of a whole top are to be altered. The 

 whip method is simply to slant off both parts, 

 as a farmer would splice a wooden whip stock, 

 and tie them firmly with bass matting, cotton 

 candle wick, or flax. The wkip saddle, is to 

 form the stock into a thin wodge, and tho cion 

 to correspond, with the bark joining at all 

 points. Tongue grafting, is the safest and 

 strongest of all these methods, where the stock 

 and cion are of a size. It is performed by 

 slanting both parts as in whip grafiing.and then 

 splitting both or one side of the pith, about 

 half or three qnarters of an inch, and insert- 

 ing the tongues respectively, and forcing them 

 together, till the cut made on each side is com- 

 pletely covered ; tie firmly, and if covered 

 with day or wax will be more certain of suc- 

 ceeding. 



There are various other methods occasion- 

 ally practiced by the curious ; but we believe 

 the above comprehend all that are necessary 

 or useful. 



There is also another process, used some- 

 times, which partakes partly of ingrafting, and 

 partly of inocalating, called scallop budding. — 

 It is performed thus : 



A; any time when the sap is rising, and the 

 bark will peel, take a bud from a cion previous- 

 ly cat, or it at a later period, take a bud of the 

 present year's production, cut it from a rather 

 largish limb or twig, cut it as io budding, only 

 cut dceper.taking out more wood, which is not 

 to be removed ; thou in the stock cut a place 

 as exaotly as possible like tbo place in the 

 twig, from whence the bud came, so that when 

 placed on the spot it shall again mako it whole, 

 and cover the wound ; bind it on, either by 

 tieing witji some kind of strlgg, or what is 

 better, a narrow waxed cloth, with a bole cut 

 'or fbc bad, rf (h c fop c f flio stwft Ts ehor- 



lened, it will grow the same year, ai.d is a very 

 safe way of budding on large ai.d old stocks, 

 whose bark will not cleave, and is thick and 

 unyielding to the bud, in the common method. 

 The rose bush may have its flowers changed 

 the same year, by this process, on which it is 

 a very ceriain operation. 



The grafting clay is made, by thoroughly 

 beating two parts blue or brick maker's clay, 

 one part leached ashes, and one part fresh cow 

 or horse manure— give a few days age, and 

 several workings with the hoe or shovel. 



Of inoculating or budding, we shall speak 

 previous to the season of performing that ope- 

 ration. In the mean time we would sug«es: 

 to those who are willing to try the experiment, 

 to take some cions of the peach, pear, plum. 

 &c and bury them, or stick them like cut- 

 tings, deep in tho ground, till the bark of the 

 Lree cleaves freely, and try if last year's bnds 

 may not be made to take and grow immediate- 

 ly, by shortening tho tops, as if they were of 

 the current year's growth. • 



As to the kinds of trees which will take up- 

 on each other, by grafing or inoculating, some 

 directions may be necessary fer new begin- 

 ners. We shall therefore only name some 

 of the common fruit trees which are known 

 to do well when ingrafted upon others, leaving 

 some disputable points for a more convenient 

 season. 



All kinds of apples take upon each other, 

 as do quinces upon themselves and pears; bu t 

 pears upon apples or quinces, or quinoes upon 

 apples or pears, do not thrive well, or apples 

 upon quinces or pears do not thrive. Much lime 

 is spentyearly in useless experiments of this 

 kind, and although each of the above kinds 

 may be made to take upon the other, yet they 

 never make good trees upon each other's 

 stocks. Many kinds of cherries will take up. 

 on each other, but it is better to put those 

 kinds of cherries which are generally denomi- 

 ted English cherries upon each other, as when 

 put upon the common or Kentish cherry stock, 

 the cion is apt to out grow tho stock There 

 is also a small wild red cherry, which grows 

 wild, upon which the English or heart "cher 

 ries take very well, but they do not take upon, 

 the Black cherry of our forests, or upon the 

 choke-cherry. 



Most kinds of plums will take upon each o- 

 ther, and we think grafting them is preferable 

 to inoculating them. 



Peaches, Nectarines, apricots and almonds, 

 are more difficult to graft, but will all take up 

 on each other. 



Gooseberries and currants will take upon 

 eacb other, by grafting or budding, bat as they 

 grow freely from cuttings, they are commonly 

 propagated in that way. 



The above named fruits compose most cf 

 onr valuable ones, and as stocks of most of 

 them aro to be procured at cheap rates, wc 

 would recommend to new beginners, to con- 

 fine themselves to these at first. After they 

 have become acquainted with tbc fundamental 

 principles of Botany, there will be little dan- 

 ger of thoir being led astray by the strange s'.o* 

 ries of tho ignorant. They will then Cad that 

 treos most belong to tbo same riassand ordtj 

 beforo they ean be grafted up-on eash otDu 

 with sucqjSf. 



