2 



Grafting Fruit Trees. 



[APRIL, 



stocks from firms who make a speciality of them and supply the 

 trade, than to attempt to raise them. They are very cheap — 

 not more than thirty-five shillings per thousand if bought in 

 quantity. If only a few dozens or scores are wanted, it is as well 

 to get them from the nearest reliable nurseryman. The soil for 

 them must be trenched, either by turning soil and subsoil up- 

 side down, or by bastard trenching, when the subsoil is kept 

 below and the soil on top. No manure should be applied where 

 it would be under the roots, as it encourages downward rooting. 

 The soil should be ready by the time the stocks can be obtained 

 in early winter. When received, the stocks must be sorted to 

 size, roots trimmed, and heads shortened to about two feet in 

 length. Lay them with roots in soil to keep fresh, till they can 

 be planted. 



Plant in rows three feet apart, and one foot apart in rows, at 

 the same depth as they had been previously. Cover the roots 

 with a little soil and then apply manure to encourage lateral 

 and surface rooting. Tread very firmly and keep lines quite 

 straight, lightly forking over the soil afterwards to just loosen 

 the surface. When sorting over, examine them very carefully 

 for American blight,* and, if any is found, dress it with a little 

 petroleum or train oil. In the summer, they must be examined 

 for aphides,! an d, if any are found, sprayed with a soft soap wash, 

 made by dissolving I lb. soft soap in 10 gallons of soft water ; 

 extract of quassia chips may be added at the rate of about 12 ozs. 

 of chips to 10 gallons of wash. 



If the stocks do well, they should be ready for budding in 

 August and September following, or grafting in the spring of 

 the next year. The smaller ones may need another year's 

 growth. 



Kinds of Stocks. — For apples to be grown as standards, half- 

 standards, or espaliers, the seedling apple and seedling crab, 

 and for dwarf or bush trees, the English Paradise, are to be 

 recommended, and for pears, the seedling pear and quince respec- 

 tively. Plums are budded and grafted on the seedling plum 

 and Myrobalan plum ; they do well on the latter in the lias 

 clays of Somerset, where the Myrobalan or " Cherry " plum 

 fruits very freely. The Myrobalan also suits the apricot in 



* See Leaflet No. 54. f See Leaflet No. 104. 



