1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
215 
to the precise time for grafting, there seems to be some 
discrepancy of opinion ; but I prefer that time when the 
buds are swelling. Still, I have met with success when 
the leaf began to develope itself. 
The two parts should 
lap on each other about 
an inch and a quarter. 
That the shape of the 
splice may be under- 
stood by all, the an¬ 
nexed drawing is fur¬ 
nished; fig. 1, repre¬ 
senting the stock; fig. 
2, the scion; and fig. 
3, the two united be¬ 
fore the wax plaster 
is applied.” 
Grafting into 
layers. — The fol¬ 
lowing mode, altho’ 
not wholly new, in 
some cases 
ma y be found 
_It to possess ad 
‘ vantages over 
other modes, where stocks may be scarce. 
Take a stock of two or three years old from the seed, 
split it with a sharp pointed knife, about once in three 
or four inches; whittle off your scion wedge-shaped, 
and stick it at right angles through the stem. Apply 
wax and bandage, bend down the stock and confine it 
in a trench three or four inches deep; cover up with 
earth, leave one bud of the graft above the surface, 
and it is done. Three years since I first thought of and 
practiced this plan. Nearly all the scions took and 
grew finely. The spring following, I divided the stock 
with a sharp knife between each graft and let them 
stand. This spring I transplanted them, found them 
perfectly sound where they passed through the stock, 
and finely rooted. From 100 stocks, you can have 
from 300 to 400 thrifty grafts—quite a saving of labor 
and time. A. B. Price, M. D. Boon Grove , Porter 
Co., Indiana, March, 1848. 
Fig. 4 shows the appearance of the stock and graft, 
and fig. 5 the same after the stock is bent down and 
laid in the earth. _ 
Corrections. 
In the last number of the Cultivator, an experiment 
is given in the interesting communication of our corres¬ 
pondent at Utica, where he attributes certain results 
to the mixing or crossing of the seed of beets and car¬ 
rots. 
The experience of scientific horticulturists has es¬ 
tablished certain limits to the power of crossing in 
plants. This process usually takes place between va¬ 
rieties of the same species, as one variety of the apple 
with another, or one melon with another. It also takes 
place, in some instances, between certain species of the 
same genus where they are nearly allied, producing a 
hybrid. Species widely different in nature are not ca¬ 
pable of crossing. The pear and the apple, for instance, 
and the gooseberry and the currant, although species 
of the same respective genera, have never been known 
to intermix. Now, the carrot belongs to the natural 
order Umbelliferae, and the beet to the natural older 
Chenopodea; they are not only of distinct genera, but 
of totally distinct antural orders; hence the ruin of the 
seed in the experiment alluded to must be ascribed 
to some other cause. 
Our Flushing correspondent has fallen into quite an 
error, in classing the “seventeen year locust” among 
“ visionary tales.” This locust is at this moment 
swarming in myriads in a large part of western New- 
York, after a distinct interval of seventeen years; and 
we could, if necessary, furnish at least one hundred 
good certificates that this is the third appearance, af¬ 
ter like intervals, in this part of the country. The fact 
cannot be overthrown, however difficult the explanation 
may be. 
Time for Pruning Orchards. 
D. Sinclair, jr., writes from Cape Island as fol¬ 
lows:—“ My objection to pruning in the winter is, the 
frosty winds dry and crack the wound; if delayed till 
May, the sap would keep it alive till grown over. I 
have for several years pursued the business of grafting 
in Canada and the States, and have seen trees that 
were pruned in the winter on the decay, while those of 
equal size pruned at another season, were healed. I 
use a moist and durable composition, bearing the chan¬ 
ges of the weather, and will cover the wound until 
grown off. It consists of— 
Beeswax, 1 lb., 
Tallow, | lb., 
Rosin, 4| lb. 
Early summer pruning would, doubtless, be advan¬ 
tageous in several respects, but it usually happens that 
it is a very busy season with nearly all cultivators. 
There appears, however, to be no objection to late 
winter pruning, if the wounds are protected by a suit¬ 
able water-proof covering: a good and cheap one con¬ 
sists of a mixture of tar and brick dust applied warm; 
or a better and more expensive one may be made by- 
dissolving as much gum shellac in alcohol as will make 
it of the consistance of paint, to be kept corked in a 
wide bottle and applied with a brush. 
Horticultural Exhibtion. —The first exhibition 
(for the season) of the Albany and Rensselaer Horti¬ 
cultural Society, was held in Albany on the 14th of 
June. Considering the unfavorable nature of the wea¬ 
ther, which for several weeks previous had been un¬ 
seasonably cold, the display of fruits, flowers and veg¬ 
etables, was highly creditable. There was a fair show 
of strawberries, of good quality; also of peas, beets, 
cauliflowers, (of the latter very superior specimens 
were presented by Mr. Douw, of Grecnbush,) early^ 
cabbages, cucumbers, lettuce and rhubarb, of which 
Mr. James Wilson presented six stems of the Hybrid 
variety, weighing six pounds; Mr. Prentice six stems 
of the Victoria, weighing four pounds. Dr. Wendell 
presented a vegetable, called Hooshung, said to have 
been lately brought from China. The tender stem» 
are eaten when cooked as asparagus. The display of 
roses, picotees, &c., was fine. 
The premiums on strawberries were awarded to Mr. 
Douw for Ross Phoenix, and Mr. Prentice for Bish¬ 
op’s Orange. 
The premiums on vegetables were awarded to Mr. 
Prentice, of Mount Hope, for beets ; to D. T. Vail, 
of Troy, for early cabbages; to V. P. Douw, of Green- 
bush, for cauliflowers; to F. Kiesel, of Albany, for 
celery; to Mr. Douw, for cucumbers; to F. Kiesel,, 
for lettuce; to Mr. Douw, for peas ; to James Wil¬ 
son, for rhubarb. 
The premiums on flowers were awarded to Dr. H. 
Wendell, of Albany, for a centre-table bouquet; to 
Mr. Prentice, for a bouquet; to James Wilson, for a 
flat bouquet, and also to the same for ground bouquet; 
to Joel Rathbone Esq., for two basket bouquets ; 
to D. T. Vail, for centre table bouquet; to Wm. New- 
combe, of Pittstown, for a flat bouquet; to John Wil¬ 
cox, for a floral design ; to Jas. Wilson, for best ex¬ 
hibition of roses, and to the same for the best twelve 
varieties, and the best six varieties of roses; to Joel 
Rathbone, for best six varieties and best three varie- 
ties of pinks ; to V, P. Douw, for best collection of pce- 
onies ; and to J. Rathbone, for fuschias. 
