PROPAGATION. 95 



son, though it is very common for collar-grafted trees, and 

 for buds on strong stocks to make a fine branching growth 

 the first year. The second season the trees should all be 

 headed-in, and the laterals spurred-in early in the spring, 

 or in mild weather during the winter, if the scions are 

 wanted. This method of making stocky plants cannot be 

 too highly commended, nor can the opposite plan, of trim- 

 ming off* all the side branches, and even of stripping the 

 leaves from the lower part of the shoots, during the first 

 summer, be too severely condemned. 



STOCK GRAFTING has many advocates, and for some va- 

 rieties this plan is preferable. The union may be efiected 

 at any point from the collar upward. Formerly,, the 

 place was selected to suit the convenience of the grafter, 

 and many old orchards show very plainly where they were 

 worked, the stock or the scion having overgrown, and it 

 is very curious that some varieties may be indicated as 

 good feeders of the stock below them, and the contrary. 

 At present, tree planters are more fastidious, and object 

 to these irregularities in the stems of their trees. They 

 will purchase nothing that shows the point of union above 

 ground, hence the more common use of collar grafting, as 

 it has been called, or the insertion of the scion at or near 

 the surface of the ground. Stocks that have been culti- 

 vated one or two years in the nursery row, are selected 

 for this purpose ; the earth is removed from them, they are 

 cut off" and grafted as they stand, and with their fine 

 strong roots undisturbed, the result of one summer's 

 growth is very satisfactory, making beautiful trees fit for 

 the orchard. Older trees, especially those with straight 

 clean stems, are often grafted standard high, so as to pro- 



