156 



THE CA-NADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



GRAFTS AND GRAFTING. 



Mk. Editor, — The premium grafts 

 came duly to hand of one yearling 

 Kussian, or Cossack, apple. I cannot 

 tell whether they are true to name ; if 

 they are, and the fi uit is as long as the 

 name, we shall want a corn basket and 

 wheelbarrow to get each one to the 

 cellar ; neither can I tell what quality 

 they may prove to be, as I have no 

 dictionar}' large enough to pronounce a 

 word so long, or give any derivation or 

 root to even guess at its meaning. 

 However, as it is time to top graft, I 

 avail myself of the privilege. 1 cut off 

 close to the little root, and save one 

 bud to make my tree, cut up my wood 

 in pieces of three buds each, and set nine 

 limbs in an old tree that was called 

 Powell's Beauty, which, in due time, 

 will prove what the cpiality is like. 

 As I have had much experience in 

 grafting, having practised it for over 

 forty years, 1 still have a strong desire 

 to continue testing new varieties as 

 they come along ; which in this age of 

 the world are making rapid strides. 

 Our collections are getting large, and 

 the most cultivated fruit grower is 

 almost at a loss at times to detei-mine 

 what to plant. 



I need not speak of the method of 

 inserting grafts, as there lias been so 

 much written in books, journals, and 

 horticulturists, that the few hints I 

 may offer might not be of any farther 

 service. I think the way the grafts are 

 located in limbs has much to do with 

 insuring a good result. 



May I here say it is a law of nature 

 tliat all overtopped limbs (no matter 

 how close or high above ground) shut 

 in from the sun, invariabhj die ; and 

 without securing the uppermost limbs 

 of the tree to insert scions, such as have 

 plenty of sunlight without having lai-ge 

 and healthy limbs still over them, to 

 rob your scions of their food, as the sap 

 or food of tha ti'ee rises more \'i2rorous 



and in greater supply to the highest 

 growth of the tree. 



Grafting one limb under another is 

 of but little worth. My rule is not to 

 cut a limb over two inches in diameter, 

 keep well out, one inch to one and a half 

 inches is the best size, the wound will 

 sooner heal ; the limb will then give 

 with the weight of fruit, and not break 

 off so easily. I have inserted three 

 hundred scions in one tree, some twenty 

 to twenty-five feet above gi-ound, and 

 iri three years had a full top with quite 

 a crop of fruit. In later years some 

 of the grafted limbs had to be taken 

 away, as I set thickly and cut away 

 the remaining portions of old wood 

 piecemeal, so as not to check the 

 growth too quickly ; as the after 

 care of the scions is by far the most 

 imyiortant to i)reser\e bi-anches enough 

 to take \\\t the flowing sap, and 

 not undermine the constitution of 

 your tree, but keep it healthy and 

 vigorous. When you have inserted 

 grafts sufficient ibr an entire top, 

 the original blanches will receive a 

 tremendous impetus to grow. The_ 

 grafted stock will sprout profusely and 

 soon choke out the scions and stop 

 their growth, too much cutting and 

 pruning them will injure the tree, oft^n 

 to cut or head back branches without 

 removing entirely, leaving the leaves 

 on the branches, not covering up 

 the scions. They need looking after 

 tln-ough the months of July, August 

 and September. 



The following spring cut back to 

 eight or ten inches, and at intervals 

 through the summer arrange your limbs 

 for Ijcaring by not allowing them to 

 grow too thickly together, and removing 

 part of old wood were not needed ; 

 second year, head back again, and 

 remove all old remaining wood fi'om 

 tho tree. 



As to the varieties for top grafting, 

 I would not take a slow growing 



