April  18,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
321 
Kegrafting  Fruit  Trees. 
There  are  but  few  gardens  in  which  there  could  be  said  to  be  no 
advantage  gained  by  (he  practice  of  regrafting  trees  of  some  kinds,  and 
Apples  and  Pears  in  particular.  Tne  exact  conditions  that  satisfy 
every  sort  is  not  possessed  by  any  one  garden,  and  only  by  actual 
experience  can  this  particular  knowledge  be  gained  ;  and  sometimes, 
too,  several  jears  elapse  ere  this  conclusion  is  satisfactorily  settled. 
Pears,  perhaps,  more  than  any  fruit  develop  this  uncertainty  of  trait. 
There  is  at  stake  not  only  the  quality  of  the  fruit,  but  uncertainty  of 
bearing,  brought  about  by  indifferent  growth,  eit  er  from  an  excess  or 
an  insufficient  vigour.  Double  grafting  alters  the  character  of  trees, 
it  may  be  favourably  or  unfavourably  ;  but  in  the  case  of  established 
trees  that  are  not  satisfactory  much  good  may  be  gained.  There  are 
trees  often  tolerated  year  after  year  that  either  bear  useless  fruit,  or  it 
may  be  no  crop  worth  harvesting,  occupying  space  in  most  gardens 
that  might  be  transf  rmed  in  the  course  of  a  very  short  time  into 
profitable  ones.  There  is  another  point  that  comes  prominently 
forward  of  late,  and  rightly  so  :  and  that  is  the  supply  of  Apples  and 
Pears  for  use  in  February  and  March,  and  later.  There  occur 
frequently  abundance  of  good  fruits  through  November,  and  perhaps 
up  to  Christmas  ;  but  after  that  date  empty  shelves  or  a  very  small 
supply  remain,  much  to  the  regret  of  all  concerned.  To  remedy  this 
to  some  extent  my  pract'ce  is  to  reduce  the  stock  where  it  can  be 
conveniently  done  of  the  midwinter  or  maincrop  section,  and  by 
regrafting  introduce  an  extension  of  late  ones.  This  is  adopted  in 
such  instances  where  there  are  already  healthy  specimens,  that  when 
headed  back  furnish  good  stocks  and  foster  parents.  This  latter  point 
is  important,  b  cause  a  poor  stock  is  not  likely  to  produce  a  good  tree, 
and  thus  the  uprooting  and  replanting  with  a  fresh  one  from  the 
nursery  would  be  much  the  better  policy,  and  the  most  economical 
course  to  pursue. 
The  two  conditions  under  which  Pears  are  grown — namely,  wall 
and  open  air  culture,  need  be  given  some  intelligent  thought,  because 
some  do  well  under  one  aspect,  while  another  fails.  Locality  is  a 
governing  factor  often  in  such  matters.  Here  there  were  formerly 
several  trees  of  that  showy,  though  second-rate  Pear,  Beurre  Clairgeau, 
and  it  was  curious  to  note  the  varying  characters  presented  both  in 
fruit  and  growth  of  the  trees.  Two  in  particular  produced  such 
small  Pears  that  they  possessed  no  value  either  as  a  dessert  or  stewing 
fruit.  As  a  rule  the  kind  has  a  fairly  vigorous  habit,  but  in  these  two 
particular  trees  vigour  was  an  absent  quality.  Three  years  since  I 
decided  to  try  the  effect  of  regrafting  with  another  and  stronger 
growing  kind,  and  results  since  obtained  quite  surpassed  my  expecta¬ 
tion.  Good  healthy  growth,  followed  by  Pears  above  the  average  in 
size,  is  the  outcome  of  the  effort  made. 
In  the  case  of  healthy  trees,  it  is  remarkable  in  how  short  a  time 
restoration  to  their  original  size  can  be  effected  by  grafting,  following 
the  customary  heading  back.  I  am  no  advocate  for  the  severe  course 
adopted  b  v  some  in  cutting  back  to  large  branches,  preferring  rather  to 
prune  lightly  and  insert  more  scions.  In  some  kinds  a  moderate  crop 
has  been  secured  in  the  second  year  following,  but  all  cannot  be 
depended  on  to  respond  so  quickly.  I  can  give  an  instance  in  support 
ot  this.  In  the  spring  of  1894  a  strong  but  useless  tree  was  headed 
down  and  regrafted  with  Marie  Louise  d’Uccle,  a  tree  of  which  stood 
b  n  a  few  feet  away.  Previous  to  the  year  named,  and  each  year  since, 
this  particular  tree  has  never  tailed  of  a  crop  more  or  less  plentilul  ; 
the  newly  gralted  specimen,  on  the  other  hand,  took  six  years  before 
it  settlea  down  to  a  useful  state,  and  thus  fertility  was  changed  into 
btrrenness.  Excess  of  vigour  in  the  stock  accounted  for  this  entirely, 
for  which  root-pruning  did  not  afford  a  repressing  influence  at  once. 
By  simply  leaving  the  main  shoots  unshortened,  and  reducing  lateral 
spray,  so  that  the  sun  and  air  could  play  on  the  inner  portions  of  the 
tree,  the  needful  balance  is  effecte  1,  and  now  blossom  buds  are  plentiful 
on  every  portion  of  the  tree,  from  which  it  is  not  likely  to  revert  now. 
While  there  is  a  mutual  advantage  of  attaching  a  strong  growing 
sort  to  a  weak  stock  so  as  to  bring  about  the  infusion  of  the  two 
characters,  the  same,  or  a  similar  gain,  can  be  effected  by  grafting  a 
weak  variety  on  the  vigorous  stock.  Not  only  is  there  an  improve¬ 
ment  of  growth,  but  a  larger  size  and  better  prospect  of  higher 
quality  in  the  fruit  obtained  from  such  an  union.  It  may  not  come 
quite  so  quickly,  but  it  may  be  said  there  is  gain  sometimes  in 
wai'ing.  Old,  cankerous,  or  trees  badly  infested  and  crippled  with 
American  blight,  are  no  doubt  better  rooted  up  aud  new  plantations 
made,  but  given  healthy  trees  of  moderate  age  I  prefer  to  purchase 
grafts  from  the  nursery  rather  than  young  trees,  because  a  crop  is  much 
more  quickly  assured  and  more  plentifully  produced  in  a  given  time. 
Such  work  iB  better  anticipated,  and  the  heads  shortened  back  early 
in  the  winter,  but  as  the  season  is  opportune  for  carrying  out  grafting, 
I  should  not  hesitate  even  now  to  cut  back  moderately  and  insert 
grafts  at  once.  Bleeding  would  be  sure  to  intervene,  but  it  would  not 
last  long.  Trees  this  year  are  in  a  very  backward  state,  which  allow 
-of  the  work  of  grafting  being  left  later  than  usual.  It  should  not, 
however,  be  left  too  long  unfinished,  because  the  first,  or  early  flush  of 
sap,  allows  of  the  bark  being  raised  more  easily,  and  the  more  freely 
tne  bark  moves  the  better  is  the  prospect  of  a  successful  union. 
The  particular  form  or  kind  of  grafting  is  a  matter  of  individual 
taste  or  convenience;  the  most  objectionable  is  that  known  as  the 
“  cleft  ”  when  applied  to  large  trees,  in  large,  or  fairly  g  od-sized 
branches,  cleft  grafting  exposes  so  much  of  the  heart  wood,  which 
must,  too,  of  necessity  perish.  Inserted  simply  beneath  the  outer  rind 
they  soon  become  attached.  In  the  cleft  branch  the  scion  is  less 
likely  perhaps  to  become  displaced  by  wind  force,  but  this  can  be 
lessened  somewhat  by  pinching  out  the  point  of  growth  in  summer, 
and  thus  preventing  it  from  becoming  unduly  heavy.  Stopping  them, 
too,  causes  the  growth  to  strengthen  and  get  a  firmei  bark-hold. — W.  S., 
Rood  A&hton. 
[Grafting  is  carried  on  even  till  June  in  Devonshire. — Ed.] 
- «♦♦♦> - 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
“Here  awa’,  There  awa’.” 
Hlppeastrums  at  Chelsea. 
Year  by  year,  as  the  culture  of  this  conspicuously  handsome  genus 
of  bulbous  plants  becomes  better  understood,  more  and  more  flower 
lovers  add  themselves  to  the  existing  army  of  devotpes.  Messrs.  Veitch 
and  Sons,  Ltd.,  from  their  Royal  Exotic  Nursery  at  Chelsea,  annually 
send  out  hundreds  of  the  finest  of  new  seedling  varieties  to  all  parts  of 
the  kingdom,  where  enthusiasts  amalgamate  these  advanced  forms  with 
their  previous  stock-favourites.  It  is  imperative  on  the  part  of 
gardeners  and  growers  that  they  should,  from  time  to  time,  add  fresh, 
up-to-date  varieties  to  their  collections.  I  have  a  presentiment  that 
many  of  our  good  friends  “  down  the  country  ”  hardly  recognise  how 
far  the  developments  of  this  splendid  Easter  flower  have  reached.  On 
Thursday  last,  that  is,  April  11th,  I  viewed  the  Chelsea  Hippeastrums, 
or  Amaryllis,  as  even  Mr.  John  Heal  (who  ought  to  know  better!) 
delights  to  call  them.  I  saw  the  Chelsea  plants,  as  I  say,  and  had  the 
opportunity  of  comparing  four  or  five  varieties  obtained  from  a 
provincial  gentleman,  who  had  elaborated  magnificent  praise  upon 
them  in  the  belief  that  they  were  equal  to  the  most  advanced  types, 
his  conclusions  being  based  on  the  press  reports  of  Messrs.  Yeitoh’s  and 
other  collections.  But,  lack  a-day  !  even  he  would  be  forced  to  admit 
that,  seen  alongside  of  the  Chelsea  seedlings,  his  productions  had  yet 
much  leeway  to  make  before  they  could  come  abreast  of  the  advanced 
novelties.  Sometimes  the  journalist  labours  out  glowing  anthologies 
respecting  rarities  or  collections  he  is  supposed  to  have  seen,  and  the 
subjects  of  his  references  do  not  always  bear  him  out ;  but  my  present 
expressions  are  without  varnish,  and  are  according  to  convictions. 
The  Chelsea  Hippeastrums  occupy  a  long  span-roofed  house,  the 
flowering  seedling  bulbs  being  massed  in  one  great  central  bed 
containing  1060  plants  in  all.  These  are  mostly  in  6-inch  pots, 
though  a  proportion  are  in  lesser  sized  ones,  and  each  of  them  are 
plunged  to  the  rims  in  tan  bark.  The  more  recent  “  breaks  ’’  are 
amongst  the  pale-coloured  varieties.  There  were  here  and  there  on 
view  first-flowered  seedlings  (two-year-old  bulbs)  whose  blooms 
resembled  those  of  a  great  Lilium  auratum,  but  without  the  spots  or 
yellow  beams.  It  is  very  certain  that  if  Mr.  Heal  perseveres  with 
these  whites  we  may  yet  possess  an  Hippeastrum  as  pure  as  a  spotless 
Madonna  Lily.  A  number  of  the  bulbs  had  thrown  up  two  scapes,  each 
bearing  four  well-formed  and  developed  flowers — eight  flowers  from  one 
bulb.  We  measured  a  bloom  borne  on  a  four-flowered  scape  and  thrown 
up  by  a  two-year-old  bulb  in  a  4^-inch  pot,  and  the  diameter  spanned 
9  inohes.  “  The  substance  ;  what  of  that  ?  ”  you  ask.  “  Very  fair, 
indeed,”  is  my  reply.  The  heavens  had  opened  themselves  at  the  time 
of  my  visit,  and  the  roof  of  the  glass  house  was  like  to  break  with  the 
downpour  of  rain,  so  that  the  flowers  were  seen  disadvantageously. 
Growers  fully  appreciate  the  inspissating  effects  of  sunshine. 
Many  of  the  petals  measured  over  4  inches  in  breadth.  From  this 
collection  of  1060  plants  fully  1000  of  them  had  never  flowered  before, 
so  that  the  possibilities  of  so  large  a  lot,  and  the  interest  attached  in  the 
raising  of  them,  is  sure  to  be  great. 
The  aesthetic  type  of  bloom  was  here — that  is,  one  with  flbwing 
slightly  twisted  petals,  quite  a  break  from  the  rigid  oiroular  petals  of 
the  florists’  form,  but  surpassingly  beautiful.  The  briok-reds,  pale 
pinks,  salmon-reds,  and  new  striped  and  netted  varieties,  were  seen  in 
numbers.  Some  of  the  deep  crimson  seifs  are  very  satisfying. 
Violet  as  a  colour  among  Hippeastrums  does  not  seem  improbable  or 
impossible.  A  few  of  the  deep-toned  seifs  were  conspicuously  suffused 
with  this  colour.  Where  so  many  unnamed  sorts  exist,  it  would  be 
an  endless  and  useless  task  to  attempt  to  describe  them.  A  large 
percentage  of  the  plants  bear  highly  superior  flowers,  and  few  or  none 
could  be  detected  as  inferior  to  the  highest  standard.  It  speaks  well 
for  the  worth  of  the  selection  when  we  consider  that  the  Messrs.  Veitoh 
had  awards  of  merit  for  three  out  of  seven  Hippaastrums  shown  by  them 
at  the  last  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  meeting. — Wandering  Willie 
