022 
THE RURAL N Jb£ W-VORKEK 
April 25, 
GRAFTING QUESTIONS. 
Would you give further advice on 
grafting as to time of cutting and in¬ 
serting scions? I am interested in ap¬ 
ple culture, and direct selling to consum¬ 
ers, and should like to try grafting 
Northern Spy on a few Oldenburg trees. 
North Collins, N. Y. J. if. R. 
Scions for grafting should be cut at 
once .and stored in damp moss or sawdust 
and kept in a very cool place until want¬ 
ed for setting as grafts. In a former 
article, page 172. I told how to cut and 
store the scions and also about making 
wax and the tools to use. 
The ordinary method of grafting is 
what is known as the cleft or split style, 
and is very good for most fruit trees. 
There is almost no limit to the size of 
the trees that it may be used upon, for 
the work can be done on the smaller 
branches at any distance from the 
ground. The operator should begin at 
the top of any large tret' and work 
downwards, so as to avoid danger of in¬ 
juring the grafts set by working over 
or about them. Do not cut and attempt 
to make a success of grafts on very large 
stumps. Those about one to inches 
in diameter are about right. Select the 
most thrifty branches and such as have 
made the most vigorous growth the past 
season, and are likely to do so the com¬ 
ing one. The grafts will need all the 
vim the tree can give them. Cut the 
stumps about six inches from the crotch 
below them. Long, sprawly stumps are 
not good, for the grafts will soon replace 
the branch cut away and the less room 
for sprouts the better. Never cut square¬ 
ly across in making the stub, but at an 
angle of about 45 degrees or more. Have 
the point of top of the slope on the 
upper side of the stub if it is not per¬ 
pendicular, and on those that are perpen¬ 
dicular have it on the side next the pre¬ 
vailing Summer winds. This causes the 
growing grafts to hear their weight 
against the stump and not away from 
it, thus making the chances of blowing 
off while tender as small as is possible. 
The value of the sloping stump lies in 
the quicker and better healing over of 
the wound than if it was square on top. 
I never set but one. scion on a stump 
and this always at the top of the slope. 
A very little of this point is cut off to 
make a place to receive the scion, but 
even this is not necessary. Cut the scion 
as it came from the tree into pieces 
about 3V 2 inches long or less. Trim each 
one to a wedge with long sloping cuts 
on opposite sides of the butt ends and 
be sure to have a bud near the top of 
the wedge. This wedge should be a lit¬ 
tle thicker on the edge on which the 
bud is, so that the pressure of the split 
stump will be greater there than on the 
other edge. Split the stump with a 
stout-bladed knife, and one that can be 
used as a pry to open the split. Insert 
the trimmed scion or graft by sliding the 
wedge with the thick edge outward or 
next the bark down the full length of 
the trimmed part. Be very careful to 
have the inside of the bark of both scion 
and stock to coincide or meet exactly. 
This is the place where the vital union 
takes place and the success of the whole 
operation depends on the skill and ac¬ 
curateness of the operator at this point. 
W axing properly is another most im¬ 
portant matter. Many grafts fail be¬ 
cause of imperfect waxing after all the 
rest of the work was well done. Be sure 
to cover every bit of the cut surfaces 
with the wax, and thick enough to with¬ 
stand the warmth of the Summer sun¬ 
shine. The wax may be applied with the 
hands or with a brush. In the latter 
case it must be kept slightly heated to 
be soft enough to be handled on a small 
brush. A pint or more in a granite iron 
cup kept over a lamp in a box or big 
can will serve very well to keep the 
wax hot. 
Another good style for small stocks is 
the splice or tongue-graft. This is made 
by cutting a very long slope on the stock, 
and it must be as straight and smooth 
as it is possible to make it. About one- 
third the distance from the upper end. 
or point of this sloping cut. the knife 
should be forced downward deep enough 
to make a tongue half an inch or more 
in length. The scion is trimmed with a 
long slope, and a slit for the tongue of 
as nearly the. same length as is possible. 
These two cut surfaces are then matched 
together, by forcing the tongues into the 
slits. This should make a very neat fit 
and a strong union. If the stock and 
scion are the same size the bark should 
match on both sides and at the ends as 
well, provided the work has been well 
done. If the stock is larger size the scion 
may be set so as to match the bark on 
one side only. The splice should be firm¬ 
ly tied or waxed grafting or budding 
cloth can be used instead, by bandaging 
all the splice very securely. 
Bark-grafting can be done very suc¬ 
cessfully after the Spring flush of sap has 
become active enough to start the bark 
to peel. The stump should be cut as 
for cleft-grafting, and instead of splitting 
the stump only the bark should be slit at 
the top with a very sharp knife. The 
scion should be trimmed to a long slope 
all on one side, and the point forced down 
under the bark at the slit in the stock 
to the full length of the wedge. This 
should be bound fast with string and 
waxed or bandaged with waxed cloth. 
This kind of grafting can be done so 
late that the growth on the trees may 
be several inches long, but the scion 
must be kept perfectly dormant up to 
the time they are inserted. 
II. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Conifers from Seed. 
I intend to plant some evergreen seeds, 
such as pine, spruce, cedar, arbor-vita*. 
Silver fir and larch. Our soil is a light 
clay loam, and the only evergreen trees 
around here were planted. Will you ad¬ 
vise me how to plant and care for them 
for the first three years? s. M. 
Cincinnati, O. 
For growing small quantities of coni¬ 
fers. the following method is given by 
Jackson Dawson of the Arnold Arbor¬ 
etum : Sow the seed soon after gathering 
in well-drained boxes, using well-pulver¬ 
ized sandy loam. Pile the boxes four or 
five deep in a sheltered place or pit, 
cover with boards, and when cold weather 
comes cover with leaves or hay. In the 
Spring (about the middle of April) move 
the boxes where they will get the morn¬ 
ing sun. During the Summer keep the 
seedlings well weeded and watered. 
Shade with lath screens during the heat 
of the day in Summer. Winter the seed¬ 
lings in the boxes, and transplant the 
next Spring, in rows. Put a mulch be¬ 
tween the rows, which will conserve 
moisture and keep down weeds. Most 
conifers develop slowly at first, and are 
left in the seed-bed two or three years, 
root-pruned, and then set in nursery 
rows. Fir and larch seeds soon lose 
vitality, and have a lower viability than 
spruce and pine. Red cedar or juniper 
must have the pulp removed from the 
seed by maceration in hot water, follow¬ 
ing this by rubbing in sand. This seed 
may remain in the ground a year before 
germinating. The depth of planting 
varies with the size of the seed; larch 
needs just a sprinkle over it. If the 
seeds are sown in the open ground it 
may be done as soon as weather is set¬ 
tled in May, sowing in rows six inches i 
apart, in well tilled soil, with mulch be¬ 
tween rows, and shading as advised 
above. 
Effie’s Brother: “Do you love my 
sister Effiu?” Effie’s Steady Company: 
“Why, Willie, that is a queer question. 
Why do you want to know?” Effie’s 
Brother: “She said last night she would 
give a dollar to know, and I’d like to 
scoop it in.”—Credit Lost. 
Nervous Or.n Lady (to chemist) : 
“Are you sure you have mixed that medi¬ 
cine right?” Conscientious Chemist: 
“No, m’m; I wouldn’t go as far as to 
say that. But I’ve mixed it the way the 
doctor ordered it!”—Melbourne Australa¬ 
sian. 
S T. REGIS RASPBERRY, Ward Blackberry, best varier 
tics Strawberries, including Fall-bearing. Othe- 
varietles of small Fruit Plants and Vines, at right 
prices. Send for price list. CHAS. Black, Bights town, X J. 
Slravwhprrv Planfc ^ e:uiil “L' Varieties $■_’ and 
oirdwuurry ridin&j K > -50for moo. Apple trees,$8 to 
$15 for 1(11). California Privet. $11’ for 1000. Stock guar¬ 
anteed. Catalog free. G. E. Buntinu S Sons, Selbyville, Del. 
Strawherrv Plants - ° rer Twe " t y Varieties at 
oiraw Derry r idins $ a , )ei . umn p e s,-riptive 
Catalogue Free. BASIL PERRY, Georuetown, Delaware 
Headquarters for Fall-Bearing Strawberry Plants. 
D alilia 
bulbs. Free catalogue on application. 
D. V. HOWELL. Dahlia Specialist, PECONIC, L. I. 
,inest Varieties, 
UlilUllflil Large. Medium and 
Planting Sacs— Hare imported Novelties. 
DAHLIAS dr y roots,up-to-date vari- 
- : -eties, with planting in¬ 
structions Free. Write for Catalogue. 
Vaughan’s Seed Store 
31-33 W. Randolph Street. CHICA60 
Corn is king 
Give it the royal treatment 
it deserves 
Use the Mapes Corn Manure 
Preferably broadcast to encourage the 
wide-spreading root growth which is 
such a characteristic of the Corn crop. 
The Mapes Corn Manure 
has become one of the most popular and 
successful of all our brands, rivaling even 
■ the celebrated . 
Mapes Potato Manure. 
Send for Our Pamphlet 
The Mapes Formula and Peruvian Guano Company 
143 Liberty Street, New York 
IRON AGE 
20 GALLON BARREL SPRAYER 
BUCKET, BARREL, 
TRACTION & POWER 
SPRAYERS, POTATO 
MACHINERY, GAR¬ 
DEN TOOLS, 
ETC. 
SAFETY FIRST 
Spray your trees and bushes—scale will disappear 
and you can control disease uml insects. A scale 
infested tree is no good to 
you and very destructive 
to your neighbor. Cure ii 
now and make better fruit, 
enough to pay. Whitewash and 
disinfect the poultry house and 
other buildings—then, lice won’t 
bother you. 
BATEMAN MFG. CO., 
BOX 102 
GRENLOCH, NEW JERSEY 
Will care for trees, bushes and gardens on a fair 
sized place, apply whitewash, cold water paint, 
wash windows, wagons, etc. 
One man can handle it, sufficient pressure for 
effective spraying, readily got at, economical to 
use, non-corrosive. 
Ask your dealer to show it and write us for 
“Spray” book and spray information. 
S TltA WltKKItY I'LANTS-Guaranteed true-to- 
natne- Best varieties at reasonable prices. Cata¬ 
logue Free E. W. JOHNSON 8 BR0-, Salisbury, Maryland 
St. Regis Ever-Bearing Raspberry Plants 
$12 per thousand. By I'AM, L. HEGGWM ntcrford Wurkn, N.J 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
We have eight that have been selected out of a 
hundred: eight that are TRUE BLUE If you wish 
that kind semi for our 1914 catalogue. I)o not cost 
any more than common stock. ROMANCE SEED, PLANT 
AND TRUCK FARMS. Caleb Boons 8 Son. Clieswold, Delaware 
ARE THE BEST MONEY CAN BUY S 
Alfalfa, Clover and Timothy Seed, bet£?" d cKl “ZS 
Timothy cheaper. Huy now. 
Flint and Dent varieties either for crop or the silo, 
•jeeu v.urn. Germination tests to date average over 95"» and as low in 
pnee as $1.30 per bushel in quantities. 
Date Twn spl R "did varieties, early, very productive, with 
* JCCU grain weighing 40-45 lbs. per bushel. 
P A i„i_ n „ Good stocks of a dozen kinds best early, inter- 
_ oeeu i OldlOtb. mediate aud bite still on liami, some @ $3.00 
ICtiO acres in our own seen farms 
V -DIBBLE’S CATALOG FREE- 
AltOKKSS 
A EDWARD F. DIBBLE SEEDGROWER 
/ HONEOYE FALLS, N. Y. BOX B ^ 
