364 Cutting Grafts and Grafting. 



wax from sticking while working it, and also when putting it on 

 to the stocks. First put a good cap of wax on the top of the 

 stock, covering it well, and down to the sides, covering the split 

 well to keep out rain and moisture. Some grafters spread on the 

 wax thin, as some will butter on bread where it is t- irty cents a 

 pound, but there is nothing gained by this policy. When the 

 wax is made after the above rule, it will not melt and run in the 

 hottest weather, neither will it crack and come off in the coldest 

 weather, but it will remain on the stock for two years, or until 

 the stock is entirely closed over where it is well covered at graft- 

 ing. 



When large trees that are thrifty are grafted, it will be well to 

 take off most of the branches, leaving the limbs pretty much like 

 bare poles, though a few branches and shoots may be kept to 

 draw up the sap. Where trees are large, and the tops and 

 branches are a good way up from the ground, it will be a good 

 plan to head the trees down, that is, saw off the main branches 

 of the tree at a convenient distance down, or where the branches 

 start out from the trunk, so as to form a new head by the sprouts. 

 These sprouts or shoots may be budded the first or second season, 

 or you may wait three or four years and then graft the stocks. 

 If the trees are very large and slow growers, a part of the tree, 

 say the south half, may be headed down first, and then after two 

 or three seasons' growth of sprouts, the north half may be taken 

 off in the same way. Managed in this way, the trees will con- 

 tinue to grow unchecked ; whereas, if the whole top w6re taken 

 off at once, the sudden check of sap might kill them. If an old 

 tree is sound at the trunk, no matter how many dead limbs there 

 may be upon it, the sprouts or thrifty limbs may be grafted and 

 the dead wood taken ofi", it will pay. 



If such orchards or trees are unthrifty from neglect as they 

 generally are, they may be first grafted and then pruned, after- 

 wards scraped and washed ; and then the soil should be plowed 

 for crops and heavily manured, especially under the trees. Crops 

 of corn or potatoes may be raised for two or three years to ad- 

 vantage, or till the soil becomes well shaded again by the groov- 

 ing sprouts and grafts, the soil to be well manured with each 

 crop. The scraping should be done directly after a heavy storm 

 by a " tree scraper," to be had at the implement stores. Begin- 



