88 AMERICAN POMOLOGT 



roots or sections of roots of young stocks. The latter 

 may be first described, as it constitutes the most extensive 

 means of multiplying fruit trees. It is a sort of ma- 

 chinery, with division of labor, and appliances, that enable 

 the operators to turn out immense numbers. Machinery 

 has indeed been applied to the business ; we have grafting 

 apparatus to facilitate the work. The Minkler machine 

 consists of a frame or guage which regulates the angle of 

 the slope, which is cut with a broad chisel that reduces 

 the roots and scions to a condition for putting them to 

 gether ; by its use an immense number of grafts can be 

 cut, and another hand binds them together with the waxed 

 thread, without any tie. Mr. Robey's machine consists 

 of a complicated shears to cut the slope and tongue at one 

 operation, preparing the pieces for whip grafting. Mr. S. 

 S. Jackson, of Cincinnati, has also invented an apparatus 

 for this purpose, which proves to be very usefiiL 



Root Geafung. — The methods of performing the opera- 

 tion vary somewhat, but all agree in the object to be attain- 

 ed : the co-aptation of the scion with a piece of root. Some 

 grafters use only the upper portion of the root, thinking 

 the original collar of the seedling stock the only point at 

 which the most perfect and successful union between the 

 aerial and terrestrial portions of trees should or can be 

 effected — theoretically this may be very well, but, the 

 practice constantly pursued, in myriads of cases, abnn- 

 dantly proves that the grafting need not be restricted to 

 this part, and that a perfect union may be effected at any 

 point of the root, and that this may even be inverted. 

 The very common practice has been to take two or more 

 cuts from the root, when it is of sufficient size and length ; 



