190 APPLE TREE. 



The most proper season for grafting", in out climate. 

 is from about the 20th of March, to the 20th of May, 

 though the operation has succeeded well, as late as the 

 lOih of June, provided the scions have been properly 

 preserved. It is always most successful, however, when 

 done at the period that the buds of the stocks are swell- 

 ed, so as to be nearly ready to burst into leaf: this 

 should be very particularly attended to. It should be 

 observed, as a ruie, never to employ suckers from old 

 trees as stocks for grafts, or buds, as the}' have a con- 

 stant tendency to generate suckers, and thereby injure 

 the growth of the trees. 



Grafting can be performed in various ways. In every 

 method it should be a general rule to adjust the inner 

 hark of the stock and of the scion in close contact, and 

 to confine them precisely in (hat situation. As cleft- 

 g'rafti?ig is the most simple and certain of success, and 

 that most practised in New-England, we think it unne- 

 cessarj'^ to describe any other. Cleft-grafting is done on 

 the stocks in the nursery, or on the small limbs of trees. 

 The head of the stock or branch being carefully cut off 

 in a sloping direction, a perpendicular cleft or slit is to 

 be made, about two inches deep, with a knife or chisel, 

 towards the back of the slope, into which a wedge is to 

 be driven, in order to keep it open for the admission of 

 the scion. The latter must now be cut in a perpendi- 

 cular direction, and in the form of a wedge, leaving the 

 side of the graft, which is to be outside, the thickest, so 

 as to fit the incision in the stock. As soon as it is pre- 

 pared, it should be placed in the cleft in such a manner 

 that the inner bark of both the stock and scion may 

 meet exactly together. In making the cleft, care should 

 be taken not to injure the pith, or to start the bark 

 from the stock, the scion being inserted in the sap wood 

 of the stock or bracch. When not grafted within the 

 surface of the ground, the whole must be daubed with a 

 quantity of stitT loam worked fine and mixed with chop- 

 ped hay or coarse horse-dung. This must be applied 

 closely round the parts, tapering at both ends ; particu- 

 lar care being taken not to move the graft. This mor- 

 tar must be surrounded with a winding of tow or old 

 cloths. The middle part of the scion is best. The 

 grafts should be four or five inches long, with two or 



