Arp 



[60] 



APP 



Those which produce their leaves and 

 blossoms rather early in the spring are 

 generally to be preferred; for though 

 they are more exposed to injury from 

 frost, they less frequently suffer from 

 the attacks of insects the more common 

 cause of failure. The disposition to ve- 

 getate early or late in the spring is, like 

 almost every other quality in the apple- 

 tree, transferred in different degrees to 

 its offspring ; and the planter must there- 

 fore seek those qualities in the parent- 

 tree which he wishes to find in the future 

 seedling plants. The best method I have 

 been able to discover of obtaining such 

 fruits as vegetate very early in the spring 

 has been by introducing the farina of 

 the Siberian crab into the blossom of a 

 rich and early apple, and by transferring, 

 in the same manner, the farina of the 

 apple to the blossom of the Siberian crab. 

 The leaf and the habit of many of the 

 plants that I have thus obtained possess 

 much of the character of the apple, 

 whilst they vegetate as early in the 

 spring as the crab of Siberia, and possess 

 at least an equal power of bearing cold ; 

 and I possess two plants of the family 

 which are quite as hardy as the most 

 austere crab of our woods." 



By grafting. Stocks of the crab and 

 apple are raised from kernels, but the 

 Codling and Paradise stocks must be 

 raised by cuttings and layers; sow in 

 autumn in beds of light earth, moderately 

 thick, in drills, covering them full half 

 an inch deep ; they will come up in the 

 spring, when, if the season proves dry, 

 water them occasionally which will great- 

 ly forward the seedlings, and strengthen 

 their growth ; and in autumn, winter, or 

 spring following, they may be planted 

 out in nursery rows, previously shorten- 

 ing their tap roots, and planting them in 

 lines two feet and a half asunder, and 

 one foot in the rows ; and after having 

 from one to two or three years' growth 

 here, they will be fit for grafting, parti- 

 cularly if for dwarfs, or even for full and 

 half standards, if it is intended to form 

 the stem from the graft, which is an 

 eligible method for these trees ; but if 

 the stock is to form the stem, they will 

 require three or four years' growth to 

 rise to a proper height ; seven feet for 

 full, and four or five for half standards. 



When these trees are intended for full- 

 sized orchard standards, with strong 

 stems, the too common practice of prun- 

 ing close all side branches as they spring 

 from the stem, cannot be too strongly 

 deprecated. A regular series of these 

 should be left up the stem, at least for 

 one year after their production, practising 

 what is termed " spurring-in" by our 

 nurserymen, at the first winter's prun- 

 ing after their production. Indeed, in 

 the second year, if any stout stems are 

 required, we would only totally remove 

 one-half ; and instead of performing this 

 operation in the winter, we would leave 

 it until near midsummer; for recent 

 wounds heal, and skin over much nicer 

 at that period than during the season of 

 rest. 



Before quitting the subject of grafting, 

 it may be well to offer a few plain direc- 

 tions on that head. Presuming that 

 stocks duly cultivated and prepared exist, 

 the first thing is, to provide scions ; that 

 is, a part of the kind intended to be 

 grafted on the stocks. It is, and has 

 been a maxim, for perhaps centuries, to 

 procure these long before what is termed 

 the "rising of the sap ;" that is to say, 

 during the resting season. 



Such, then, being procured during the 

 end of January, or through February, they 

 are u heeled ;" that is, after being correctly 

 labelled, and tied in bundles, they are 

 placed in the earth, in a cool and damp 

 situation, where neither sun nor wind 

 can penetrate. Here they lie until wanted. 

 There appears to have been originally 

 more than one reason for this procedure. 

 A pressure of spring business, even in 

 former days, would suggest this practice, 

 and it would soon be discovered that 

 these retarded scions possessed real ad- 

 vantages ; the principle of which appears 

 to be, the certainty of nourishment the 

 moment that they are placed in the 

 parent plant ; or, at least, as soon as 

 their absorbing powers are fully in action, 

 which will be the case in a day or two. 

 The parent stock is thus much in advance 

 of them ; and a root action has already 

 commenced, which is capable of supplying 

 their utmost need. 



The period of grafting is determined 

 by the rising of the sap ; and this is in- 

 dicated in deciduous trees, by the enlarge- 



