102 FRUIT CULTURE. 



pyramids, and especially for the Morello, which does 

 remarkably well upon this stock. 



Preparing the Stocks. The crab stocks, myrobolan 

 plum, wild cherry, and mahaleb, are all raised from seed ; 

 and the quince, paradise, mussel and common plums 

 are usually raised by layering, cuttings or suckers. The 

 stocks are grown in nursery rows until they are large 

 enough to plant out in lines for working. They are then 

 lifted, and the stems carefully trimmed of all side growth 

 near the base, and shortened to about eighteen inches, 

 and all coarse roots carefully trimmed. They are then 

 planted out on well-prepared land in rows two feet six 

 inches apart, and one foot from plant to plant. Stocks 

 thus planted out one autumn will be ready for budding 

 the following July or August, or for grafting in the spring 

 of the following year. 



Grafting. The stocks intended to be grafted are pre- 

 pared in the early spring by trimming closely any side 

 growth to the height of about six inches from the ground, 

 and cutting off the top at that height. 



The scions of the varieties intended for grafting should 

 be cut from the trees in February, labelled and bedded 

 firmly in the soil. This tends to check the flow of sap, 

 and allows the sap in the stock to be more active than the 

 scion at the time of the operation. The wood selected 

 should be clean and free from all disease, of moderate 

 growth, and well ripened. Clay must then be prepared 

 before commencing the work. This is done by selecting 

 good strong clay, and mixing it with finely chopped hay, 

 and cow manure. This must be well mixed, and beaten 

 over two or three times before using. 



Grafting wax is also sometimes used, but for young 

 trees worked near the ground I do not think that there is 



