GENERAL NOTES ON GKAFTING. 45 



a handy implement for scraping trees. It is never ad- 

 visable to scrape to the "quick," so as to expose the 

 live bark. Simply remove the loose shreds by a light 

 pressure of the hoe. The removal of this bark destroys 

 lodging places of insects, and adds wonderfully to the 

 appearance of an orchard. The person who keeps his 

 orchard neat and attractive is usually successful. I know 

 of no reason for whitewashing the trunks of trees, although 

 the practice is a common one. 



CHAPTER XII. 

 GENERAL NOTES ON GRAFTING. 



In most cases it is better to set trees which have been 

 grafted in the nursery than to set seedlings, with the ex- 

 pectation of top-grafting them. If the variety of apple or 

 pear is a good grower, a tree can be grown more quickly 

 and more satisfactorily if grafted before being set in tlie 

 orchard. To cut off a tree after it is three years old to 

 graft it, is to put it back two years. It should be cut off 

 and grafted when a year old, and the process should be 

 done in the nursery. I am not speaking in the interest 

 of root-grafting, but I wish to make it plain that time is 

 lost by top-grafting trees, and, in the great majority of 

 cases, no better trees are secured. In many cases there 

 are decided disadvantages, besides the loss of time, in 

 this top-grafting. When there is a great difference in 

 the rate of growth of the stock and scion, there will be 



