CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



Cut the shield from a limb of about l /z inch in diameter, length of shield 

 about \ l / 2 inches, its thickness from }/% to J4 inch, and its bud near the middle 

 of the shield. Do not remove the wood from behind the bud. Make a cut 

 in the stock, th rough the bark and into the wood, its length and width a little 

 greater than those of the shield. Insert the shield into the cut, so that the 

 inner bark of the top of the shield and cut will coincide, so that one side of 

 shield and cut and both sides, if practicable will coincide. l j lace the flap 

 of the cut over the shield (removing a part of the flap so the bud will not be 

 covered), and fasten flap, shield and stock together very firmly with twine, 

 and protect them with paper tied around them. They may be grafted in that 

 mode, whenever dormant buds are found, for the shields. Twenty-four shields 

 were inserted at several times, during one spring, and there was only one 

 failure. 



A method of bark grafting applied to the fig by George C. 

 Roeding of Fresno and approved by him after several years of 

 successful experience, affords an excellent way of grafting over 

 large trees. It does away with splitting the stock and therefore 

 hastens the barking-over of an amputation. The branches to be 

 grafted are cut off within 18 to 24 inches from the point of diverg- 

 ence from the main body of the tree, allowing at least two branches 

 to remain, one of which should be on the southwest, if possible, so 

 that the grafts will be protected from the afternoon sun. 



After having sawed off the branches, the stumps neatly 

 smoothed over, with a sharp knife, so as to have a clean, smooth 

 surface, particularly along the edge, two, four or six scions should 

 be placed on each stock, the number, of course, being regulated by 

 the size of the stump. Cut out a V-shaped piece of bark. The dis- 

 tance from the top of the stock to the point of the V should be 

 about \ l /4 inches. 



Another method is to make slightly outward and downward 

 cuts into the stub with a sharp knife, so as not to cause a split, 

 but rather deep, clean cuts, into which the \vedge-shaped scions 

 are firmly pushed and a cord wound around the stub to hold all 

 strongly in place before waxing thoroughly. This form of grafting 

 will be shown in the chapter on the walnut, for it is very success- 

 fully used on that tree also. 



The form of side-graft with a saw-cut as described in the chapter 

 on the peach is also available. A form of bud-graft, that is, bud- 

 ding with a large shield into old bark, is also successful. Judge 

 Rhodes of San Jose describes his method, both with the olive and 

 the fig, in this way : 



Select a scion of the proper size, never be smaller than an ordi- 

 nary lead pencil. As a rule scions from two-year-old wood, with 

 very little pith and with a diameter of about l / 2 inch, will give the 

 best results. The scions should have a sloping cut at the lower 

 end, with the bevel all on one side and not like a wedge. The 

 bevel should be as long or a little longer than the V-shaped 

 opening in the stock and should fit snugly into this opening, so 

 that the bark on both edges of the scion touches the bark of the 



