BEGINNERS^ GUIDE TO FRUIT GROWING 



Cion and stock should each have a length of 3 to 

 6 inches, 4 inches being customary. A fair seedling 

 apple root will cut into two pieces, and a good one 

 into three pieces, and each piece may be used as the 

 stock on which to start a new apple tree. The 

 graft is then known as a piece-root graft. Or the 

 entire root of the apple seedling may be used in 

 one piece, one seedling root to each apple tree 



propagated. This is what 

 is known as the whole- 

 root graft. Great advan- 

 tages have sometimes been 

 claimed, but never proved, 

 for the whole-root graft. 



The customary working 

 method is to cut and pre- 

 pare several cions, then to 

 prepare several stocks, then 

 to fit- cions and stocks to- 

 gether, tying each graft 

 firmly with soft twine. A 

 particularly fancy job is 

 done by dipping the joints in 

 soft grafting wax. The 

 grafts are now completed and should be tied up in small 

 bundles, about 50 to each bundle, and packed in saw- 

 dust. The sawdust should be slightly moistened and 

 the boxes containing the grafts should be stored in a 

 cool cellar, preferably safe from severe freezing. If the 

 grafts are correctly made and packed before Christmas, 

 they will heal before planting time in the spring. 

 Stock and cion will be found firmly grown together 

 when the boxes are brought into the field in early 

 April for planting. 

 At potato-planting time in the spring, or per- 



FIG. Sa — WHIP-GRAFTING 



