HOW AN APPLE-TREE IS MADE 



51 



"seedling" or a "natural;" it is now a grafted tree, des- 

 tined to produce a named recognized variety of apple, 

 maybe York Imperial, maybe Jonathan. We find seed- 

 ling trees in old fields, in fence-rows, and in woods. 

 These have grown from scattered seeds and have come 

 to fruit without the arts of the propagator. They bear 

 their own tops or heads, rather than the heads that a 

 thrifty horticulturist would have put on them. Now and 

 then such a tree produces superior fruit ; then a discrim- 

 inating pomologist discovers it, names it a new variety, 

 and propagates it as other varieties are propagated. Thus 

 have most of the prized varities originated, without 

 knowledge on the part of man of the ultimate processes. 

 But now with the accumulating knowledge of the plant- 

 breeder we hope to be able to foresee and probably to 

 produce varities of given qualities. 



Bud-grafting is practiced in summer. 

 The young trees, obtained from the 

 grower of apple stocks, are planted regu- 

 larly in nursery rows in spring, the top 

 having been cut back to the crown so that 

 a strong vigorous shoot will arise. In 

 July and August or September, when this 

 shoot is the size of a lead pencil and 

 larger and the bark will peel (or separate 

 from the wqod), a single bud is inserted 

 near the ground (Fig. 17). This bud is 

 deftly cut from the current year's growth 

 of the desired variety ; it grows in the axil 

 of a leaf (Fig. 15). The leaf is removed 

 but a small part of the stalk or petiole is 

 retained with the bud to serve as a handle. 





I 



Him 



17. A "bud" 

 before tying. 



