LUTHER BURBANK 



as grafting the pecan or the hickory, with both of 

 which species the process was until recently 

 found impossible of accomplishment. In this 

 regard the walnut is rather to be likened to the 

 fig, both being difficult to graft, yet not presenting 

 insuperable difficulties for the skilled operator. 



Persons who first attempted to graft the wal- 

 nut in California often failed four times out of 

 five; and budding was even less successful. But 

 the importance of the subject led to a careful study 

 of methods, and today grafters who thoroughly 

 understand their work are so successful that they 

 scarcely have more than two or three failures in 

 a hundred successful grafts. 



To attain such success, however, it is necessary 

 to attend carefully to the various stages of the 

 process. The grafting should not be attempted 

 until quite late in the season; just after the buds 

 begin to start is the most opportune moment. 

 Hard wood should in all cases be selected for 

 grafting; the pithy tips are utterly worthless for 

 this purpose. Some grafters claim that only about 

 two cions should be used from the base of the 

 last year's growth where the wood is very firm. 



Of course the principle of fitting the inside 

 bark or cambium layer of stock and cion accu- 

 rately together applies here as in the case of 

 every other tree. Further details of the method 



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