Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-02-02
AGRICULTURAL.
From tia Ohio Farmer.
GRATING.

Mn. EDITOR: have often thought that
njoht make myself useful TO some OF my brother
arnlers by writing a short essay on the subJec' I
e grating fruit trees. Having a few hours lei !
;ure | have thrown together the following re- (
marks which at your service # Won ihInh they
are worth publishing The principal fault have /
dscove. ed in the many descriptions OF the pro-
cess Of prafiing thai have read, ia- hat they d"
no, sufficiently describe all par;- OF tie business,
;,nI the farmer who attempts ~ graft alter Their
direction will work wrong IN some necessary par1
Of the process that they have not described al
all. | have practised grating by The following
method about fifteen years, and have set seVefai
thousand scions each year. set at the rate oil
from go to 400 scinns IN day, aud do not lose
more than five out of hundred
Cutting scions.
Scions NAV be cut from the time the leaves tall
from the trees IN autumn TIL the bnds pe9'h !"
open in the spring. II possible cut your scIons
Yourself from trees that YOU acquainted with,
or procure them from persons you can depend
uoon: a great amount of time and money mas
been expended in cuitivating fruit OF an inferior
quality; this dscouragcs tho owner and ms neigh
bors Gom continuing the business oil grating
whA6 The whole fault consisted III careless or
;.<,rn.p, selection Of scions. 1t should always
be rcf5fifAred that it costs no more TO raise me
hest frtiif .Pn it does to raise the worst for
example: nv Own orchard is wholly grated ana
I have this year sold the best kinds OF apples tor
=
cents per bushe vet the latter has cost me as
much as the former. In cutting sclons select
thrifty shoots of the past summer growth; cut
Them off with "A knife about three tourths OF an
inch below the circle where the past years grown
commenced Do not take scIons that have been
much shaded, or from the Interior OF a tree top
however thrifty they may look, neither the wood
nor the buds are sufficiently matured to rem
L. :, s,c, In use them Tie each sort I'D bunch
bv itself and cut mark on the butts OF one or TWO
scions-the nunerai letters are the most coh'eh-
lent narks-ina<e some mark IN YOUR book, or on
n sheet of paper and annex the name OF me lfuli
# Won craft in an orchard the mark should be cut
in the bark of the tree, it III a nursery cut the
ark on n stake to be set ut the end OF the row or
bv the tree grated. BY this means You VIII new
er be at loss for tho naino OF the frnit.
The best time TO Gu, scions IS about the first OF
March Tho object is to cut them before the sap
berins TO circulate; yet they may be cut and
,sed with a reasouat.iw-degree of safety til! the
buds begin to open. Those cut after the sap be-
sins 10 circulate cannot be transported or kept rs
safely as those cut earlier. keep my scions IN
the following manner:
+ select a dry piece Of ground and dig square
nit large enough To contain my scions ana ABOUT
two feet deep, then lay board IN the bottom
and set boards about the sides suiilcient 10 pre-
won't the scons from coming III contact win the
earth Law a board over The top, ana then cover
the whole with earth about a foot thick-av boards
over the mound thus formed to turn OH me ram
Secured in this manner ! have never iaiicd IN
keeping nv scions in the best order III they were
wanted for use If, however. Aies<~ should
stand in the piI-e...,n ior short time, the scons
iiyIr1rc spoiled.
setting the scions.
If yo, intend To graft in Il nursery you may
s,(clv craft all the trees that are over nan an
inch IN diameter at the surface oil the gfouhu )
those less than inch IN diameter prefer graz
,np ut the surface, those ol larger SIZE graf
!, such distance above the ground as Wit give u
stump o! about three 'oul'n' u al" ny" - 0
ctcr.
The best time TO graft IN an orchard is me Sc
cond or thId year after the trees are transplant
cd If thew are grated the hrst year, ana CRY
season ensucs, they are liable 10 perish INC ih''e
mari of the season the Is less than an men
;,n,oto, ,t from FIVE to six feet from the ground,
81, off the whole top and set two scions IN the
stumn. if they both live, one may DC cut away
tho second wear. When you graft large trees Sc
Iect the leading and best branches anu cur mem o
where they are from three-fourihs oil au i"ch ~
,bree inches in diameter, and III such positions as
In -, srch n ton as YOU prefer when they take
,h ,,,oce of the natural top. The tools YOU VII
ood arc p, saw Ia common sash saw IS inc pest,
, GOOD pruning or large pocket khiie anu . "eoS'
for oDennp the cleft IN the stufhPs- Lei 'il'
wedge be made OF soft IRON ao'u, - i e.
lenG1h. make i, round and plated at enc end 10
neo;nr the cleft. and with the other you CA
live the knife for splitting the stnmps saw Oh
Tho tree or branch in suitable place "nere
can he spli,; smooth the top with ycur knite' me
sr;, the stump by laying Your KNIFE across IN
cer,rc and driving 1t down with the iron weoS
tho whole width of the blade; Withdraw you
LIT, and insert the wedge so as to open Inc cle'
ono,gh 10 admit The sclons. II the stump IS Z
800 ~ tbree-ourths of inch IN diameter,
,yculd recommend that two scions be ;ewaSs st
:, !, ono on each side OF the stump 1t they Dol
rve one may be cut away the second y ear IL III
n,x,er nrefers. usually leave them hoth 10 sro'
e So, il the top of large tree. Prepare You
scion by cutting the lower end III the form o.
ncdrc. lie, the wedge be about ihree-iour'hs Oh
,,cb IN length, and that side winch Is 70 DC P'"co
novt 70 the centre Of the stump should be 4 Urn
thinner than the other. in order that the bark :
Tho stump and scion may come IN coinP'etc cor
,,c, when the iron we6ge Is Withdrawn which
en-, object TO be attained Cut the wedge Oh Not
,;,s, scion at the circle where the last yea.
,r,o,vtb commenced. There Is usually S,lgt
Se,d IN the scion ut this place, and you shouu CT
Tho wcdpo in such manner as To ieaNe 'lc W
s;ao of the bend on the out side oil the stump
rut off your scion al such length as VII leave ~
al