PARK AND CEMETERY. 
257 
GRAFTING OF TREES. 
The grafting of trees, besides being a profitable 
undertaking usually, is an exceedingly interesting 
one, the union of the two different sorts on one tree 
being something of a mysterious operation to those 
who do not understand how the wood of trees is 
formed and how the union of parts is accomplished. 
On nearly every place there are trees which 
might be profitably grafted, some with much better 
sorts and others with new kinds to be tested. Cions 
required for grafting purposes should be cut some 
time in the winter while quite dormant. The shoots 
to cut are those made last summer. Those ot about 
half inch diameter are of suitable thickness, though 
a little more or less won’t matter. These shoots 
have to be kept fresh and quite dormant until 
wanted for use, which will be when the buds on 
orchard trees are commencing to swell in early 
spring. They may be buried up entirely out doors 
or covered over with sand or soil in a cave or quite 
cold cellar. They must be in a cool place, as when 
used they must be in a less forward condition than 
the tree they are to be placed on. The length of 
cion to be used in grafting depends somewhat on 
the distance the buds on it are apart. There are 
usually two buds allowed above the part inserted in 
the cleft of the branch, though one is enough; and 
in fact, one only is usually permitted to grow if both 
start. But as one sometimes fails to push out, the 
cion is permitted to carry two, one being rubbed 
out — the lower one — should both push out. There 
is hardly any limit to what trees may be grafted. 
All fruit trees as a rule may be and with reasonable 
hope of success, and very many ornamental trees 
are multiplied in the same way. Those who raise 
trees in large quantities, such as nurserymen and 
fruit growers, procure small, one year old seedlings. 
These they cut off at the collar, and graft the root. 
This is carried on in doors all winter long. As the 
seedlings are grafted they are labeled, tied in bun- 
dles, packed in boxes of sand, the tops only not 
being covered, and set away in a cool place until 
spring comes, when they are set out, close together, 
in rows, out of doors. As a rule, home made graft- 
ing wax is used, both for indoor and outdoor graft- 
ing. This is made by heating together in some iron 
vessel I pound rosin, pound beeswax and 2 
pounds tallow. After a thorough melting it can be 
easily warmed up at any time for use, a little oil 
lamp contrivance answering for the purpose very 
well. After the cions have started to grow, the 
wax will have to be removed on one side sufficiently 
to permit of the cutting of the strings holding to- 
gether the stock and cion, or the strings will cut in 
to the wood as growth proceeds. 
J. M. 
PRINTED LABELS FOR LIVING PLANTS, 
The discussion in many quarters on the labeling of 
trees, plants, etc., so as to increase and fasten public at- 
tention upon them, is leading to the production of a 
label that will afford the most satisfactory service. Pro- 
fessor W. A. Kellerman in a recent issue of ^‘The Agri- 
cultural SiudcTii," describes a label he has devised. In 
the course of an article he says: 
“The importance of a plain and easily legible label 
for living herbs, shrubs and trees in conservatories, bo- 
tanic gardens and public parks has been underestimated. 
To the absence or illegibility of labels is largely attrib- 
utable the ignorance, even on the part of cultured peo- 
ple, of trees and other plants. Our native plants are 
largely unknown to the people who have opportunity to 
see them almost daily. 
“The pot labels used in greenhouses are extremely 
unsatisfactory and generally useless to the public. The 
writing is mostly done with a lead pencil and is quite 
generally illegible to the visitors. But the main objec- 
tion is that the name is vertical instead of horizontal. 
Labels to out-door plants when written or painted on 
stakes, are sometimes vertical instead of horizontal, but 
always less easily read than when printed in plain broad- 
faced type. The large zinc strips nailed on trees in 
parks or other public grounds, on which are painted the 
names, are wholly unjustifiable. Both for plants in the 
conservatory and out-of-doors I have adopted the 
printed card label which is very satisfactory and in the 
long run comparatively inexpensive. 
“I have devised a label holder which consists of a 
piece of sheet brass. No. 24, cut the length of the card 
label, but one-half inch wider and the upper and lower 
edges are bent over (this is done with a tinner’s brake,) 
under which edges the card is slipped. 
“Three plans are adopted to support the labels; for 
pot plants in the conservatory, for outdoor herbs and 
shrubs, and for trees respectively. The first consists of 
a stiff wire, bent hairpin shape, soldered at the back of 
the brass holder, the two free ends being a few or sev- 
eral inches in length suitable for thrusting in the soil of 
pots of varying depths. These suppoits are bent back- 
ward slightly but uniformly at the lower edge of the 
label holder so as to give a proper bevel or angle to the 
card label. 
“The label holder for the outdoor plants consists of 
a steel rod five-eighths of an inch wide, one-eighth of an 
inch thick and twenty inches in length. At the middle 
of this iron stake two bends are made, one very sharp, 
(heating is required,) so as to present a square shoul- 
der allowing the use of a hammer or mallet in driving 
the stake to the proper depth, the shoulder being at the 
surface of the soil when the stake is placed is not ob- 
served by the visitor and it insures a uniform depth of 
the stake and height of the label. The uppermost por- 
tion (two inches) ot the stake is bent backward so as to 
present the proper bevel or angle for easy reading of the 
label. It is on this p irt that the brass label holder is 
riveted with copper rivets (iron would discolor the 
label.) 
“'For trees the label holder is placed on the trunk 
