GENERAL NOTES ON GRAFTING. 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 truuks 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 the 
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 
