98 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



February, 



On the Crafting of Trees. 

 Can you graft? No doubt a majority of 

 our readers could answer this question by 

 "yes." But we are aware also that thous- 

 ands who have an interest in gardening and 

 horticulture yet feel that in some way graft- 

 ing is a practice beyond their reach. They 

 would feel timid about undertaking the 

 operation even when marked advantages 

 were in sight. This should not be. for it is 

 an art that may be easily understood and 

 practiced by any intelligent per.son, man, 

 woman or child. Let us look into the 

 matter somewhat. 



The Gains from Gkafting. The prin- 

 ciple of grafting is that of setting a scion 

 of one tree, usually such as has some 

 specially desirable quality, on the stem 

 branch or root of another, usually of 

 inferior quality, to have them unite by 

 growth, and eventually form an im- 

 proved tree. Tlius by means of grafting, 

 rare and improved ornamental or fruit 

 trees may be secured in a few years 

 through setting scions of the same upon 

 a well established stock of some related 

 kind. An improved seedling Pear tree 

 tliat would not fruit in a dozen years 

 might be made to do so in three or four 

 years by grafting it on the extremities of 

 a mature tree. 



Some other desirable points to be gained 

 through gi-afting are: Adapting kinds 

 to soils and climates for which they 

 would not be suited on their own roots, 

 by grafting such on species more hardy, 

 thus the Peach and Apricot on Plum to 

 adapt them to heavy soils; delicate Apples 

 on hardier stocks for northern regions; 

 to render dwarf certain kinds of trees suit- 

 ing them to smaller grounds, by grafting 

 on suitable stocks of slower growth, as the 

 Pear on Quince, the Apple on Paradise 

 stocks, the Cherry on Mahabel stocks, etc.; 

 grafting several kinds on the same tree for 

 securing fi-uit in a succession of varieties in a 

 small garden; in ornamental trees of two 

 sexes, bringing both on one stock in order 

 that fruit bearing may be promoted. 



Conditions to Success. Contact of Cum- 

 hluin-hiycr. The fundamental principle 

 which applies to all grafting is the necessity 

 of forming a direct communication between 

 the line of division, consisting of cells gorged 

 with sap that lays between the wood and the 

 bark, in order that the sap may pass to and 



Relation of Stock ond Scion. There must 

 be near relation here, either as varieties of 

 the same species (e. g. one Apple on another 

 Apple) or as species of the same genus (e. g. 

 an improved Grape on the wild one, Eng- 

 lish Elm on the American species etc.), or 

 at farthest as genera of the same nattiral 

 family (e. g. the Pear on the Quince, the 

 Peach on Plum, etc. ) Outside of grafting 

 one variety upon another, no absolute rule 

 as to what sorts vrill "take" upon others, 



T 



Fig. 1. lUiistrating Cleft Oraftinn. Knife above. 



from the inserted scion. This narrow circle 

 of cells is called the Cambium-layer, and it 

 is the point at which the growth of both the 

 wood and the bark proceeds. In the season 

 when the sap How's freely the bark may 

 easily be separated from the wood at this 

 layer. It is discernable without any diffi- 

 culty, and in the engravings annexed this 

 layer is shown by the inner mark which de- 

 fines the l)ark of the shoot, where a cross 

 section of wood is represented. 



i'eiiecr (Jraftiim at carious stages, and Shiiwi 

 the point of Union after one year.', 



even of the same family, can be laid down. 

 This is an interesting field for experiment. 



Time for Graftimj. The proper season 

 for trees growing in the open air is In early 

 spring when the sap is in motion, previous 

 to leafage. In fruit trees this commences 

 earliest with the Cherry and Plum, and 

 ends with the Apple and Pear. If the grafts 

 are cut in the winter and kept as nearly dor- 

 mant as possible, they may be set some 

 weeks later than if they are cut as used. 

 Many ornamental trees, such as Magnolias, 

 Dogwoods,OaliS,Japan Maples, Horse Chest- 

 nuts, Pines, Spruces, are grafted In August, 

 in the close atmosphere of a shaded green- 

 house, using young potted plants for stocks. 



Othtr RcciUifiitcs. Properly setting the 

 graft so that it wiU be secure against being 

 displaced by the wind, properly protecting 

 the place of union from drying or from ex 

 ternal moisture, by applying grafting wax, 

 and a healthy condition of the stock and 

 scion are of these. A sharp knife with 

 flat blade should be used for dressing all 

 faces, and another one for other uses. 



Some Modes of Grafting. Cleft 

 Qrafting. This is the most common method 

 in use in the United States. It is especially 

 adapted to trees of some years of maturity. 

 For the operation a grafting knife such as 

 is shown in the upper part of figure 1 is de- 

 sirable, and which may be made of iron, 

 with the part a of steel, by any blacksmith. 

 A scion ready to be set is shown by (t (of 

 the lower part), in which the bottom end is 

 neatly shaved to a wedge, h represents the 

 head of the stock after being cut off hori- 

 zontally with a saw, smoothed with a knife 

 and split ready to receive the scion. Tlie split 

 is made with the blade a by slightly tapping 

 it. The part !> of the knife is inserted in the 

 center of the split at the top to slightly pry 

 it open for receiving the scions at each side; 

 after removing the blade the spring of the 

 stock should hold the scions securely, d d d 

 represent scions properly in place. The 

 right hand figure shows a shoot only 

 sufficiently large to receive a single scion. 

 The dotted lines e c represent the probable 

 outline of the wax to be applied. 



Crown or Rind drafting. This method 

 shovsTi by Fig. 3 is a favorite one with some 

 grafters. Its advantages are that the stock 

 is not split, and less wax or other substance 

 will suffice to keep out the moisture from 

 the wood than by cleft grafting. In pre- 

 paring the scion a it is cut in only from one 

 side and about half through, and then is 

 cut out smoothly to the end. To set the 

 graft, directly between the bark and the 

 wood, a smooth wedge of hard wood or bone 

 is first inserted to make a way for the 

 former. Some do not tie the parts, as 

 shown in the cut, previous to applying 

 the graft, but tying is the safer way. 



Tonijue or Splice Oraftinrj. This is 

 usually applied to young twigs or to 

 root grafting on a large scale in nurse- 

 ries, and is also called whip grafting. 

 For a stock the root of a seedling that 

 was stored in earth or sawdust in the 

 cellar in the fall is used. This should 

 be about the size of a lead pencil on an 

 average. The scion may equal the stock 

 in diameter or be a little smaller. In 

 grafting the root h is taken in hand, 

 and with a sharp knife a smooth sloping 

 cut is made upwards at the collar, and 

 ill this a tongue or split downward as is 

 shown. The scion ii of the desired kind 

 and three or four inches long is then cut 

 in a similar manner, excepting that the 

 slope is do^vuward and the split upward, 

 the two are united as at c, making sure 

 that the two parts are even on one side. 

 The aperture is compressed by tightly 

 ^ winding the joined parts with a strip of 

 paper or cloth saturated in grafting wax. 

 This work is usually done in the winter, 

 the grafts then being set into boxes of earth 

 until planting-out time in the spring. 



Veneer or Side Graftinrj. This mode for 

 small twigs and roots, like crown grafting 

 for larger stocks, obviates the need of splits 

 ting the wood, and this is by some is claimed 

 to be a gain, while others estimate it but 

 lightly. Our engraving, taken directly from 

 nattire, shows first to the left the stock (in 

 this case a root), prepared for the scion. 

 This is done after cutting off nearly square 

 above by a simple downward gash into the 

 bark with a sharp knife, and then taking a 

 shaving ott' on the side above this cut, but 

 not deeper than the bark, with a downward 

 slope of the knife. The scion is shown above 

 the root, having been prepared by taking 

 a shaving from one side above the lower 

 end, and cutting this end obliquely below 

 to fit the cut in the stock. In the centre the 

 parts are shown united and tied. The right 

 hand figure represents a graft as united 

 after one season of growth. This is the 

 mode of grafting usually practiced on young 

 trees under glass in August. It is not con- 

 sidered necessary by this method to use wax, 

 especially in the case of root grafting and 

 grafting in a close greenhouse. 



Grafting Wa.r. The ingredients used in 

 making wax are rosin, beeswax and tallow. 

 These are melted together in the propor- 

 tion of three parts of the former to three of 

 beeswax and two of tallow. Sometimes the 

 proportion of rosin is increased, and that 

 of beeswax, the most expensive ingredient, 

 diminished, but such a composition does 

 not work as nicely as the first named. For 

 use the wax is either rolled into sticks as it 

 hardens from the pot, and then is drawn 

 out into a ribl)on with the warm hands as 

 needed for applying, or else is thinly brushed 

 over sheets of weak cotton cloth, which then 

 are torn into strips an inch wide and wound 

 on a ball; orthe cloth may be loosely wound 

 up on a ball first and then be soaked in the 

 melted wax. In the latter cases the strips 

 are wound around the parts until snugly 

 closed up, and then are torn oft'. In all out^ 

 door grafting care must be taken to exclude 

 the air from the wounded parts. 



