34 



ORCnARDS. 



from the trunk. With a grafting knife, the blade of 

 which for this pnrpose should be from six to eight 

 inches long, a number of splits are made around the 

 edge at right angles to a line of diameter, as if to take 

 off so many chips. From the end of one cut to the end 

 of the next one adjoining, the distance should be from 

 one and a half to two inches, and the chips should have 

 thickness enough to hold two scions firmly. A scion 

 prepared in the ordinary way is then inserted in each 

 end of every split, making in all from four to sixteen 

 according to the size of the stock. All the openings^ 

 and that part of the stock outside of them, should be 

 well covered with grafting wax, and the central portion 

 with the shellac solution. Nothing more is done until 

 the next Spring, when a portion of the scions are cut 

 out, as they tend to crowd each other. At the second 

 Spring pruning, one, two or three, as may be thought 

 best, are allowed to remain, and all the rest removed. 

 A second portion of the tree may be grafted a year 

 after the first, but we think it better to have two years 

 interval, if more than one-third is grafted at a time. 



The advantages of this mode of grafting are stated 

 to be these : The work is quicker accomplished and 

 requires a less number of scions. When the tree comes 

 into bearing, it is much more compact than where the 

 scions are set at a distance from the centre. This will 

 be found an important item in gathering the fruit. 

 Suckers give next to no trouble, as when the grafting 

 is completed there is nothing left of the old tree above 

 ground, but the trunk. The amount of firewood 

 obtained is frequently sufficient to pay all the expense.. 

 The only drawback which we have heard suggested 



