CHAPTER XLV. 

 REGRAFTING OF FRUIT TREES. 



After patiently waiting several years it 

 is often found that the variety of apple 

 or pear or other fruit for some reason is 

 unsatisfactory; perhaps the soil does not 

 suit it, the tree somehow does not crop 

 properly, or the. fruit is found to be un- 

 suitable for market purposes, and it is 

 thought better to regraft it. 



The stocks to be regrafted should be 

 healthy, or time and space will be wasted. 



The scions for grafting should be in a 

 more backward condition than the stock, 

 so that twigs to be used for grafting are 



111 



Cut r T ■ faRAFT. 



cut in early winter and placed with their 

 lower ends deep in the ground to retain 

 their moisture, behind a north wall so as 

 to retard their growth in spring. 

 Cleft Graft. 

 The necessaries for the work are : (1) 

 a sharp, fine-toothed pruning saw, with 

 which to make a clean cut of the limbs 

 to be grafted; (2) a grafting chisel, with 



which to split and hold open the limb for 

 the insertion of the scion; (3) a small 

 mallet; (4) grafting wax or grafting clay; 

 and (5) scions. 



A good recipe for grafting wax, as used 

 in Canada, is the following: — Resin, four 

 parts by weight; beeswax, two parts; 

 tallow, one part. Melt together and pour 

 into a pail of cold water, then grease the 

 hands and pull and work it until it is 

 nearly white. 



In dealing with an old tree the regraft- 

 ing should not all be done in one year, but 

 in two or more years, so as not to upset 

 the constitution of the tree. For cleft 

 grafting the limbs should be about two 

 inches in diameter, as the wounds then 

 soon heal over. 



^A 



Top grafting trees require skill in 

 making the small wedge-shaped portion of 

 the scion. It is done by the use of a 

 sharp knife, making a single drawing cut 

 for each side, so as to make a perfect 

 wedge, usually leaving the one side a little 

 thicker than the other to ensure close con- 

 tact. Then, while the split wood is held 

 apart with the chisel, the two scions are 

 put in place. Care is required, in placing 

 the scion in the cut, that the inner bark 

 (or cambium layer) of both stock and scion 

 may be in contact with each other in order 

 to make a perfect union. 



The contact of these two actively living 

 portions is vital for successful grafting. 



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