Technical Tips From a Professional Gardener 



Mr. T. Sheward Continues His Illuminating Practical Sketches and Lucid Tabloid Talks on Two Important Current Activities 



I. Kinds of Grafts 



GRAFTING is the art of taking a shoot 

 or "cion" from one tree and implant- 

 ing it on the stem or "stock" of an- 

 other. To be successful in this work 

 it is necessary to have the cambium or inner 

 bark of both stock and cion come in contact with 

 each other. Different forms of grafting are 

 given names that are descriptive of the method 

 employed as root, veneer, cleft, rind or bark. 

 Grafting serves many useful purposes, for instance 

 by top-grafting a worthless variety of apple or 

 pear with a new or improved variety, the tree can 

 be made over. It is necessary to use as a stock 

 a plant that is nearly related to the cion. 



Root-grafting offers a quick method of increas- 

 ing nursery stock. Cleft-grafting is employed 

 when the stock is larger than the cion and is 

 used mostly in top-grafting large trees. In the 

 accompaning drawing, Fig. i shows a cleft-graft; 

 Fig. 2, a cion; Fig. 3, a knife used in cleft-grafting; 

 and Fig. 5, the method of opening the cleft for 

 the insertion of the cion. 



Cions of apples, pears, and all fruit trees are 

 taken from the top of bearing trees using the 

 wood of the previous year. These are taken 

 when pruning in the fall and are " heeled-in" 

 until needed. They should be cut about 6 inches 

 long and wedge shaped at the base to fit tightly 

 in the stock (Fig. 2). 



To prepare an apple tree for top-grafting saw 

 off" the branches and smooth off the rough surface 

 of the wound and the edges of the bark with a 

 sharp knife (Fig. 24) in order to make the wound 

 heal properly (Fig. 10). The next operation is 

 to place the grafting knife across the top of the 

 cut (Fig. 3) and split the wood with a blow of the 



mallet, opening the cut with the end of the knife 

 (Fig. 5) and inserting two cions (Fig. 1), making 

 sure that the cambium layers in stock and cion 

 come in contact. 



On a small stock (Fig. 31) a pruning knife can 

 be used and one cion inserted. When the cion 

 is in place tie around with raffia and cover with 

 grafting wax (Fig. 17). 



Bark-grafting is another form of grafting suit- 

 able for top-grafting fruit trees. Slit the bark 

 down the length of the cut on the cion and push 

 the cion down between the bark and the wood 

 (Figs. 17, 18, and 11). Tie, and cover with 

 grafting wax. 



Another form of bark-grafting (Fig. 23) is used 

 in repairing trees girdled by mice, gophers, etc. 

 A tree half girdled (Fig. 19) will grow together 

 without grafting, but a tree girdled all around 

 (Fig. 21) necessitates bridge-grafting to save the 

 tree. Fig. 20 shows the bark trimmed back and 

 ready for grafting, Fig. 23, how to cut the cions, 

 Fig. 22, how to insert the cions and Fig. 24, the 

 cions in place. These are covered with wax 

 bandages, and soon unite. 



Whip-grafting is employed when the stock and 

 cion are small and is used chiefly in nursery work, 

 on ornamental shrubs like the Lilac, Rhododen- 

 dron, Holly, etc. (Fig. 32). Fig. 33 shows how to 

 cut stock and cion in root-grafting. 



The saddle-graft (Fig 8.) is the most common 

 way of grafting over small shoots. Fig. 6 shows the 

 cion tied in place ready for waxing over and Figs. 

 12, 13, 14, and 28, a small shrub grown in a pot and 

 grafted underglass. In the latter case it is not neces- 

 sary to cover with wax but moss is sometimes used. 



Fig. 28 shows a side-graft and Fig. 34 how to 

 cut stock and cion. Herbaceous grafting and in- 

 arching are in common use. ' 



Inarching or approach-grafting is the process 

 of grafting the branch of one plant upon another 

 while both stock and cion are still growing upon 

 their own roots. Fig. 25 shows one way of cut- 

 ting stock and cion, Fig. 26 and 27 another way; 

 both stock and cion having a tongue cut to hold 

 them in place and Fig. 30, stock and cion tied 

 with raffia. Both ways are equally successful 

 and like all other forms of grafting, depend upon 

 the close union of the cambial tissues between 

 the stock and cion. 



Herbaceous grafting is another method of 

 grafting in which both stock and cion are soft 

 growing parts of plants. Geraniums, Coleus, and 

 many kinds of soft-wooded plants graft easily un- 

 der glass if the parts are cut with a sharp knife and 

 tied together. Geraniums graft upon Pelar- 

 goniums, Potatoes upon Tomatoes, etc. Parts 

 of fruits will grow together, also leaves. Fig. 

 32 shows the method of side-grafting a Geranium. 

 No wax is necessary when the work is done un- 

 der glass. 



II. Transplanting Seedlings 



SEEDLINGS started in a greenhouse or 

 hotbed in February will be ready for 

 transplanting this month. Transplant 

 them into other boxes or directly on the 

 hotbed. If boxes are used make them about 

 three inches deep and put holes in the bottom for 

 drainage. Place "crocks" over the holes to- 

 gether with the siftings from the soil to be used. 

 Pass the soil through a quarter-inch sieve before 

 filling the boxes. 



The soil for filling the boxes must be of the 

 same temperature as that of the frames for if cold 

 soil is used it will check the growth of the tender 



ROOT 

 GRAFTING 



■ 120 



