72 NUT GROWING 



is maintained. When a tree has been cut down com- 

 pletely we may often save a year of time by inserting 

 a bark slot graft in the following grafting season. 

 This will sometimes avoid the necessity for doing 

 any sprout grafting a year later. The whole cut end 

 of the stump is to be painted and all of the natural 

 shoots may be allowed to grow during the first year 

 if the graft shoot has made a vivacious start. On 

 the whole, it is far better to cut back three- or four- 

 fifths of the top of a tree in preparation for graft- 

 ing instead of cutting the tree down. A good many 

 years are required for the root system to recover 

 from the shock of such severe treatment. On the 

 other hand, the trimming of the top means more 

 work on the part of the grafter, but the tree will 

 start off all full of enthusiasm in an effort to regain 

 its beauty and symmetry. When trimming back the 

 top of a tree it is well to leave as many small internal 

 branches as possible. These are easily grafted and 

 require less labor than the grafting of cut ends of 

 large branches. The foregoing remarks apply to 

 trees which are to be top-worked by mediate scion 

 grafting. Mediate or immediate scion grafting in 

 the summertime calls for more severe cutting back 

 of a tree in full leaf and busy with its affairs of 

 growth. Any plant physiologist knows that this 

 means a good deal of shock and yet I find practically 

 that trees bear the ordeal bravely. Sometimes the 

 entire leafy top of a tree has been removed in mid- 

 summer and yet when grafted at once the graft 

 shoots and new natural shoots have put out flourish- 



