THE CAXADIAN HCATICULTCRIST. 



99 



shellac dissolved iu alcohol or white 

 paint, but if a fine saw is used it will 

 not require painting. Shoots will spring 

 up in abundance from the stub of the 

 branch left, which should be about fif- 

 teen or eighteen inches long, and these 

 may be budded at the proper season. 



This is a good plan, and quite practi- 

 cable by any one who understands the 

 simple art of budding ; but a still bet- 

 ter method of renewing old trees has 

 been suggested by the Rural Xew Yorker 

 and by favour of the Editor we are 

 enabled to give our readers the follow- 

 ing description of it with an excellent 

 illustration. 



KAFriNG. 



" The following is an easy and effective 

 method of grafting old trees. By it the 

 percentage of failui-e is reduced to a 

 minimum, and branches at least six 

 inches in diameter, and, in the case of 



pear trees 75 years old, may be worked 

 with assured success. Last year we 

 mentioned the case of such a pear hav- 

 ing been grafted two years before with 

 the Kieffer, that gave a full crop last 

 fall. Saw off the branch at right angles 

 to the stem to be grafted, as at Fig. 162 



a. Then cut a clean slit in the bark 

 through to the wood, as shown — a slit 

 the same as in budding. Separate the 

 bark from the wood and insert the cion 



b, one for each slit. The number of slits 

 for each stock will be determined by its 

 size. We will suppose the stock illus- 

 trated to be six inches in diameter, and 

 that six cions are to be inserted. The 

 stock after x-eceiving the six cions is 

 shown at c. Gi-afting wax is not needed. 

 A thick paper may be wound about the 

 top of the stock extending about one 

 inch above it and securely tied with 

 strong twine, as shown at d. The space 

 above the stock encircled by the inch 

 uf paper may then be filled to the top 

 of the paper with a puddle of soil and 

 water, made so thin that it can be 

 readily poured from any suitable vessel. 

 This mud protects the surface of the 

 wood of the stock, and excludes the aii" 

 from the insertions. It gives every ad- 

 vantage of v/ax without its objections. 

 Of course, stocks of any size may be 

 worked in this way. One, two, or any 

 number of cions may be inserted ac- 

 cordino; to the size of the stock." 



EXPERIENCE WITH GRAPES. 



W. M. ROBaOS, LINDSAY. 



Sir, — I was much pleased with Mr. 

 J. H. Wismer's description of the Chi- 

 nese Pceony in February Number. It 

 was short, captivating, and con\'incing. 

 Its special merits seem great enough to 

 create a desire to become a possessor of 

 this beautiful perennial. But I was 

 soi-ry to hear the unfavorable report of 

 the Prentiss Grape received from the 

 Association ; for with me in Lindsay, 

 among my different kinds, which num- 

 ber in the teens, it has been my special 



