Ti'ansplanting Fruit Trees in the Aniumn. 1 63 



Your remarks in the November number of the Magazine, 

 for 1843, page 423, respecting my mode of procuring the 

 specimens of fruit presented on several occasions at the 

 Horticultural Society's rooms, last autumn, is partly incor- 

 rect ; they were not procured by budding, but by grafting. 

 I have practised budding with fruit buds for some eight 

 years past, and occasionally succeeded in getting good fruit 

 from them. It is now three years since I began grafting 

 with fruit wood in autumn, (and I never heard of any per- 

 son attempting it previous to that time) ; thus far 1 have 

 been eminently successful with the pear and apple (occa- 

 sionally with the plum) ; the grafts thus set have been more 

 certain to mature their fruit, than the trees from which the 

 grafts were cut ; this can only be accounted for by suppos- 

 ing the sap to flow slower in the graft in the spring, in con- 

 sequence of there not having been a perfect union formed 

 with the stock in autumn ; and the grafts not blooming or 

 setting their fruit, quite as early as the tree from which 

 they were cut, escape the injurious effects of our late spring 

 frosts and cold northeast storms, to which, in our climate, 

 we are so subject. 



I select a healthy shoot for a scion, with fruit buds on it, 

 (I have set them a foot long with one or two side shoots.) 

 Immediately remove the leaves, and cut it on one side in a 

 sloping direction, to a point, the cut from one to two inches 

 long; then with a sharp knife I begin at the point and cut 

 just within the bark, up about half an inch above the com- 

 mencement of the incision on the opposite side ; then select 

 a thrifty upright shoot, on a healthy tree, cutting well back, 

 making a short stump ; cut this stump in the same manner 

 as the scion, reversed ; and carefully but firmly push one 

 within the other; secure with bass or Russia matting, and 

 cover with clay ; or, I prefer to mix equal parts of beeswax 

 and Burgundy pitch (a less quantity of rosin will answer 

 in room of pitch) ; soften to a proper consistency with hogs 

 lard, melt together, and spread on coarse cotton shirting; then 

 cut in strips of one half to three quarters inch wide, and 

 after uniting graft and stock, bind with this, the cotton side 

 next the bark. The composition ought not to come in con- 

 tact with the bark, as the bandages should be left on through 

 the winter. If the grafts are carried any distance before 

 uniting to the stock, it will be very important that the leaves 



