36 Grafting. 



BUSHBERG CATALOGUE, 



Grafting. 



X>roper time for grafting. Farther north, and 

 even in the latitude of St. Louis, fall grafting 

 is not quite as certain, for even when pro- 

 tected b}"^ a mulch of straw or leaves the 

 graft is in danger of being thrown out by the 

 heaving of the ground caused by the frost. 

 In this latitude, however, we often have fine 

 days in February and early in March, when 

 the ground is open and before the active flow 

 of sap has commenced, which should be im- 

 proved for the operation. Still farther north, 

 where the ground opens late and spring 

 comes in abruptly, these days are generally 

 so few that they can seldom be utilized. 

 For these northern latitudes the best oppor- 

 tunity lies in the second period, or during 

 the time in which the sap has ceased its 

 active flow and exudes from the wound in a 

 gumra}' state. Some even claim good suc- 

 cess in mid-summer with scions of the same 

 season's growth. 



In describing the operation proper, of 

 grafting in the several different methods, we 

 do not think that we could give better direc- 

 tions than by following largely an excellent 

 French work, '■'■Traite tlieonqiie et pratique 

 (111 Grefage de la Vigne," by Aime Champix, 

 an eminent and most intelligent practical 

 vineyardist, and a most spirited and elegant 

 writer, who has treated the subject in an 

 exhaustive work. His book has also been 

 translated into the German language by Dr. 

 RoESLER. ("Der Weinbau, seine Cultur 

 und Veredlung, von Aime Champin. A. 

 Bartleben & Co.: Wien, 1882.") To Mr. 

 Champin we are also indebted for the cuts 

 relating: to grafting. 



The method of giafting most generally ap- 

 plied for larger stocks, or for plants which 

 are already established in the open ground, 

 is "cleft grafting." After clearing away 

 the soil around the collar of the stock to be 

 operated upon, to the depth of 3 or 4 inches, 

 select a place below the surface with a 

 smooth exterior around the collar ; just 

 above this place cut the vine off horizontally 

 with a flne-toothed saw, or, in the case of 

 smaller stocks, Avith a sharp knife ; then split 

 the stock with a common grafting chisel, or 

 other sharp instrument, so that the cleft will 

 run down about li or 2 inches. Insert the 

 small end of the grafting chisel (C), or a 

 narrow wedge, in the centre of the cleft in 

 order to keep it open, and then with a very 

 sharp knife cut j^our scion — which may be 

 3 to 4 inches long and have one or two ej^es — 

 to a long wedge-shape at the lower end, so 

 as to fit the cleft, leaving the outer side a 

 trifle thicker than the inner one ; insert it in 

 the cleft so that the inner bark of both stock 

 and scion may as much as possible make a 

 close fit on each other ; then withdraw the ; 

 wedge in the center, and the scion will be 

 held firmly in its place b}^ the pressure of the 

 stock. If the stock is a large one two scions 

 may be inserted, one on each side. This 

 mode of grafting answers for stocks varying 

 from one-half to three inches in diameter. 

 (See Figs. 46 and 47.) 



Though not absolutely necessary with larg€ 

 stocks, it is best to wind the grafted plani 

 tightly with some strong coarse string, oi 

 other suitable material, in order to bind stool 

 and graft together. Then cover it with 

 grafting-clay ; this clay is best made bj 

 thoroughly' mixing one part fresh cowdun| 

 with four parts of ordinary tenacious clay, 



Fig. 4 



