Top-working Fruit Trees 157 



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is performed in the lower part of old trees, these cions 

 readily form fruiting-wood, generally bearing the third 

 season. It is suggested that it may be the proper course to 

 take as a means of securing specimens of new varieties in 

 the shortest length of time. 



Choosing the stubs. There is much to be gained by 

 the proper selection of stubs into which cions are to be set. 

 A too common practice is to remove the whole top the first 

 year and graft all the stubs. It is surprising that some 

 good results come from such a practice. More often, how- 

 ever, this proves too much for the tree and it fails even 

 after the grafts have made a good start. It may linger 

 two or three years and then die from no other cause than 

 the severe cutting-back, although the growers are prone to 

 attribute it to some other affliction. The cutting away 

 of the greater part of the top may be advisable in top- 

 working stone-fruits. The pear will withstand much more 

 abuse in this respect than the apple. 



A far better plan in all cases is to cut away only enough 

 limbs to carry cions for a good top. This will generally be 

 about half of the tree, as in most cases six stubs will pro- 

 vide for a good top. The working of more stubs results in 

 a too dense top or necessitates their removal later. The 

 remaining limbs may be shortened, but the foliage is needed 

 to protect the stubs and trunk from sun-scald as well as 

 to supply nourishment. If the stubs are well chosen, the 

 remaining limbs will do much to protect the young grafts 

 from wind and especially from being brushed out by pass- 

 ing teams and orchard machinery. It is well to choose 

 inside limbs for grafting as they are best protected, but 

 care must be taken not to contract the head of the tree too 



