6 QUARTERING STOCKS FOR GRAFTING. 



cessary to give it plenty of good rotten manure, 

 to make them throw up standards quick. 



The distance for quartering out the stocks 

 for grafting should be two feet six inches row 

 from row, and about ten inches apart in the 

 rows. Some will give two feet ten inches, or 

 three feet row from row; but that I think un- 

 necessary, as two feet six inches is quite suffi- 

 cient to get between them for all purposes, and 

 quite room enough for them to grow so long as 

 they ought to remain in the nursery. 



When you plant your stocks you should 

 prune the roots, cutting the strong roots 

 shorter, and take away as many of the super- 

 fluous fibres as you can ; trim up the stock 

 clean at the bottom, but be sure to leave buds 

 to break from the top, then cut off the top. 

 leaving the stock long enough to be about six- 

 teen or eighteen inches out of the ground when 

 planted ; the stocks should remain two years, 

 and then they will be in good order for graft- 

 ing, during which time they will require very 

 little care or trouble, more than digging be- 

 tween and keeping them clean from weeds. 



