1914. 
TPIE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
©»0 
Ruralisms 
CITRUS TREE SANDWICHES. 
T HE term “sandwich” in my last re¬ 
port on the progress of our work in 
the improvement of Citrus fruits by bud 
selection was used to describe a tree con¬ 
dition more or less common in Citrus 
orchards. This condition might he illus¬ 
trated by the following description of the 
method of propagation resulting in their 
condition. 
For example a sweet or Mission orange 
seedling is budded to lemon, say the 
Eureka lemon, and the bud allowed to 
grow one or more years in the nursery. 
For some reason it becomes desirable to 
rebud this lemon tree to grapefruit. The 
grapefruit bud is inserted in the young 
lemon tree, usually several inches above 
the union of the lemon and orange seed¬ 
ling wood. The resultant tree then is 
made up of sweet seedling orange stock, 
a section several inches thick of Eureka 
lemon wood in the trunk, and the remain¬ 
der grapefruit trunk and top of tree. 
The section of Eureka lemon wood in 
a tree of this character was called “sand¬ 
wich” in order to distinguish it froip the 
normal tree condition, which would have 
been sweet seedling orange stock and 
grapefruit trunk and top of tree. This 
condition might be illustrated by the fol¬ 
lowing diagram. 
In some cases, such as Citrus varieties 
having characteristically different rates 
of growth, the sandwich grows either 
more rapidly or on the contrary more 
slowly than the stock and top, in which 
case it can be seen protruding or reced¬ 
ing from the horizontal lines of the grape¬ 
fruit and seedling orange trunk, above 
and below the “sandwich.” 
In a navel orange orchard near River¬ 
side in which we located a Citrus per¬ 
formance record plot in 1909, we found 
in 1912, such a condition. In this case 
sweet seedling orange stock was used, 
which had originally been budded to lem¬ 
ons about 1898. The young lemon trees 
were rebudded in 1S99 to navel orange 
buds, about five or six inches above the 
point where the lemon buds had been in¬ 
serted the year before. 
This orchard in the period 1909 to 1912 
deteriorated so rapidly in amount and 
character of fruit production as to become 
almost useless. While studying these de¬ 
cadent trees in our plot, I happened to 
notice one day lemon sprouts growing out 
of the tree trunk. On investigation I 
found that these lemon sprouts came from 
a lemon “sandwich” in the tree trunk 
as a result of the method of propagation 
mentioned above. A comparative orchard 
across the road, in which we had a per¬ 
formance record plot, did not deteriorate, 
and upon examination was found to be 
free from lemon “sandwiches.” 
The owners of the orchards became 
convinced that there was a relation be¬ 
tween the decadence of the orchard with 
the lemon wood in the trunks and the 
presence of this lemon wood section or 
sandwich. They then cut back the orange 
trees, cutting off the trunks below the 
sandwiches, and inserting navel orange 
grafts in these sweet seedling orange 
stumps. In other words they eliminated 
the sandwiches. 
It is too soon to report on the results 
of this experiment. However, acting on 
this hint, we have looked in many or¬ 
chards, particularly decadent orchards, 
for the sandwich condition as shown by 
trunk sprouts or differences in rates of 
growth. We have enough evidence to 
say safely that in many cases it looks as 
though there might be a relation between 
tree condition and the sandwiches of 
other varieties in the tree trunks. This 
seems particularly true in the orchards 
examined of sandwiches of Valencia or¬ 
ange or lemon wood in navel orange trees. 
Just how this condition might be re¬ 
sponsible for tree conditions it is impos¬ 
sible for us to state. We might suggest 
the differences in hardiness of the “sand¬ 
wich” and the tree, so that in cold 
weather the sandwich might be affected 
more than the fruit or tree. There is no 
doubt also that varieties of Citrus differ 
in their resistance to environmental con¬ 
ditions other than temperature, which 
might explain in some cases a possible 
correlation of “sandwich” condition and 
certain forms of orchard decadence. 
In all studies of the relation of stock 
to scion this possible condition should be 
kept in mind. The practice of rebudding 
nursery trees is more or less common, 
changing from one variety to another as 
a result of fluctuating tree market condi¬ 
tions. It is possible that under certain 
conditions this practice might be danger¬ 
ous, although we have no positive proof 
as yet that such is the case. 
A. D. STIAMEL. 
Grafting or Budding Roses. 
W ILL you explain the process of graft 
ing or budding, a wild rose branch 
or roof being used as the founda¬ 
tion? Some of my hybrid roses have 
died, but the roots have sent up wild 
roses. f. w. l. 
Tuekerton, N. J. 
The stock commonly used for Hybrid 
Remontant roses is the Manetti, a varie¬ 
ty of the China or Bengal jse, with deep 
pink single or semi-double flowers, though 
brier stock is also used. In this country 
budding in the open air is done in June 
and July, a dormant shield bud being 
used. The stocks, which come from 
France, are trimmed back closely, both 
root and tops, planted in Spring, and 
budded the following Summer, whenever 
the bark peels readily. The process is 
similar to any other budding as to careful 
fitting and tying of the bud. The bud 
remains dormant that season, but starts 
into growth the following Spring, when 
the top of the stock is cut off. We infer 
that the inquirer wishes to bud upon 
stocks of his old plants, but we are un¬ 
able to say whether this would be satis¬ 
factory, as we have never tried it. Evi¬ 
dently suckers or sprouts were permitted 
to grow, which being stronger than the 
budded plant have starved it out; such 
suckers should always be removed. We 
are often told of rose bushes that have 
“reverted to wild roses,” when of course 
this is the trouble. We like to set our 
grafted roses with the ground level just 
above the union; then, as natural roots 
are formed, we have an own-root plant. 
Root-grafting is very commonly em¬ 
ployed under glass, either cleft or splice- 
grafting. Bits of root two or three inch¬ 
es long are united with scions of similar 
diameter. The grafts are covered with 
moist moss and left in a cool house or 
frame till united, when they are potted 
and grown on until planted out in May, 
the work being done, of course, in Winter. 
Azaleas, Violets and Freesias. 
1 ENCLOSE a branch from a plant that 
I have which I would like identified. 
The plant in question is about 12 
years old, a regular tree form, but never 
lias any flowers. 2. When and how are 
sweet violets put in cold frames to get 
llowers in February and March? 3. How 
is the Azalea treated after flowering, and 
when re-potted? 4. Can I force Freesias 
in hotbeds made of brick? If I want 
them at Christmas, when are they put in? 
Tarrytown, N. Y. x. w. 
1. The plant sent was Crassula portu- 
lacea, a native of South Africa. It grows 
into a bush four or five feet high, and 
does not usually bloom under glass until 
it is older than the specimen named. 
2. February and March are the natural 
flowering time for the violets grown un¬ 
der glass, and unless sunlight is very de¬ 
ficient it should be quite easy to get an 
abundance of flowers from plants set in 
the frames in September. Some growers 
set the young plants directly in the 
frames where they are to grow and bloom 
in Spring or early Summer, leaving the 
frames open all Summer, while others 
plant them in the open ground and put 
movable frames over them in the Fall, 
this being adapted to sections where the 
climate is less severe. The best place for 
violet frames is on ground sloping to the 
south, with some wind-break at the north. 
3. The best time for re-potting Aza¬ 
leas is after flowering, when new growth 
starts. Soil is a sandy compost of half 
peat and half leaf mold, with some good 
fibrous loam added. The plant must be 
potted firmly, the base of the stem just 
above the surface, and the soil well 
rammed down the side of the pot; ample 
drainage must be supplied. After flower¬ 
ing, the seed pods should be pinched off, 
and the plant treated as before until dan¬ 
ger of frost is past, when it should be 
put outside in a frame or sheltered spot, 
the pot plunged in coal ashes to prevent 
drying out. In such a situation Azaleas 
should be well watered, vigorous spraying 
with cold water preventing red spider, 
and they make a very fine growth. In 
September they should be brought inside, 
and it is quite common to re-pot them at 
this time, though it may be done earlier. 
An open slatted shed of lath is a good 
shelter for Azaleas in Summer. 
4. Freesias are very easily forced, but 
we have had no experience with their 
culture in hotbeds. As a brick hotbed is 
referred to, this inquiry may have refer¬ 
ence to a heated frame; we do not think 
a hotbed heated with manure would pro¬ 
duce Christmas Freesias at Tarrytown. 
Freesias for forcing are potted in suc¬ 
cession from August till February, 
giving a period of bloom that lasts from 
Christmas until June. They are usually 
in bloom about six weeks after top 
growth starts. They need careful water¬ 
ing until the plants are in flower. 
Grafting Old Apple Tree. 
A T a farm which I have in the State of 
New York there was once a large 
Flemish Beauty apple tree. Some 
years ago, while overladen with fruit, one 
of the large limbs broke and the tree was 
neglected. Eventually worms gained ac¬ 
cess to the other branches and destroyed 
the tree. The stump left is about two 
feet in diameter and 6Vo feet high, on the 
side of which there is a live strip running 
to the top of the stump. Out of this at 
the extreme top there is a perfect tree 
growing, which is about five feet high and 
IV 2 to two inches thick at the butt. 
Can I save this new tree by cleft-grafting 
it to another stump, or would you suggest 
grafting the whips to some other tree? 
If possible I would like to keep this tree 
intact, as it is perfectly formed. 
Staten Island. J. o. k. 
There is no such variety of apple as 
Flemish Beauty but there is a pear by 
that name, but whether it be a pear or 
apple tree makes no difference. A sprout on 
the side of a stump two feet in diameter 
does not seem to be the beginning of a 
very substantial tree. The stump being 
dead it will rot away gradually and the 
sooner it is gone the better for the sprout. 
It might be well to cut out all of the 
dead wood and leave the living part in 
such condition as to grow into a healthy 
body, provided it will do this. A small 
post as a temporary support beside the 
trunk might do good until the growth 
made it substantial. If two young apple 
trees were planted beside the living part j 
and grafted to it in a dexterous manner a 
sort of triple or tripod trunk might be 
formed that would be substantial and a 
curiosity as well. This would require 
skill and constant care that sound unions ; 
be made and the final cutting away of all 
dead wood from the old trunk. It would 
be a tree on crutches. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
WANT TO KNOW. 
Overhead Irrigation For Berries. 
—I would like to know whether any of 
the readers of Tiie R. N.-Y. have ever 
used overhead irrigation on strawberries 
and bush fruits, and with what success. 
I have seen this method of applying 
water to all kinds of vegetables with 
splendid results, but am told that it will 
not do on berries as it will scald both 
fruit and foliage. My crops of berries 
were ruined both this year and last by 
drought and if I can find a system of ir¬ 
rigation that is successful and practical, 
I would like to know what it is. I am 
located so I can get city water and at a 
reasonable rate. 
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