70 NUT GROWING 



may be made to slip by immersion of the cutting in 

 cold water overnight and then subjecting it to a few 

 minutes of immersion in water as hot as may be 

 borne by the hand. 



In the nursery young seedling stocks which have 

 been planted two or three feet apart are cut down 

 to any desirable height at the moment of scion 

 grafting. On the other hand, when bud grafting is 

 to be the choice in method the seedlings are not cut 

 back immediately. We wait until the bud has been 

 accepted as a welcome guest and is firmly grown in. 

 The top of the seedling is then cut off a short dis- 

 tance above the bud graft at the time when we wish 

 the bud to start. This may be done in the course 

 of a fortnight or so in spring bud grafting, but in 

 fall bud grafting we allow a bud to remain dor- 

 mant and the top of the stock is not cut down 

 until spring. The cut end of the stock in either case 

 is covered with paraffin to prevent evaporation of 

 sap and to avert waste of energy of the sapling in 

 making wound repair and protection. 



Preparation of trees larger than those in the 

 nursery row may often by done to advantage at 

 some time in advance of the grafting season. In 

 the latitude of New York a good time for cutting 

 back trees for top-working purposes in in February. 

 Wounds heal better then than at other times during 

 the winter months or after the sap is flowing freely 

 in early spring. Three-fifths or even four-fifths of 

 the top of a tree may be removed without causing 

 much shock in February. The cut ends of branches 



