14 



NUT CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. 



young shoots suitable for working. Such shoots are also produced where branches 

 are cut back for grafting, and in case the grafting fails these are utilized for budding. 

 London 1 expresses the opinion that either flute or ring budding immediately at 

 the collars of the roots of the walnut, each tree being covered with a bell glass to 

 retain moisture, is the method most likely to be successfully practiced in the climate 

 of Great Britain. It would without doubt succeed iu this country if given sufficient 

 care and attention. 



TOP GRAFTING. 



Top grafting as commonly practiced succeeds with but few kinds of nut trees. In 

 such as admit of its 'use great care in performing the operation is necessary. It fails 

 on the hickories and walnuts except in favorable locations and in warm climates. 



The pecan in Florida has been successfully worked by several methods of top- 

 grafting, notably cleft, veneer, and side, but in the North it is almost impossible to 

 secure a durable union of scion and stock by these methods. 



Two kinds of top- working are described and illustrated below. They are the 

 methods found most successful on the walnut in California. The well-known veneer 

 and splice methods are practiced on the chestnut in the Eastern States and have 

 given as good results as any other methods in the top-working of this tree. In all 

 methods of grafting in which the scions are cut to the wedge form it is essential 

 that but one scarf be cut through the pith. (See Cleft Sap-Grafting, fig. 2,/ 1 ,/ 2 ,/ 3 .) 

 All authorities on the propagation of nut trees agree in their testimony on this point. 



PRONG GRAFTING. 



B. M. Le Long reports very good success in grafting the walnut with the " prong" 

 method, which he thus describes: 2 "In this method the prongs, or extremities of the 

 branches, are used. Fig. 1, a, illustrates the scion, or prong, used and the method of 



6' V 



Flo. 1 Prong grafting. 



cutting it from the branch. The prong is cut as illustrated, and the wood in the prong 

 (graft) is partly removed, being gouged out with the point of the budding knife. This 

 is done to allow the inner bark of the bud to unite with the inner bark of the stock, 

 which union would be prevented if the wood should be allowed to remain iu the bud. 

 After the wood in the bud has been partly removed, as shown in fig. 1, V, the stock 

 is cut off with a sharp saw and smoothed over with a knife, and the graft inserted, 

 as shown in fig. 1, c, and tied tight; no less than 18-ply twine should be used. The 

 cuts are waxed over with grafting wax. After the grafts have started, they should be 



1 Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicnm, Vol. II, page 1432. 

 s Pacific Rural Press, November 1, 1890. 



