Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-03-26
agricultural Department.
Orchards and Orcharding.

as the vallies and hill sides of Wndham Count,
and there is probably portion of the countr
of equal extent and so long settled as this county
where for the last 30 years. orcharding has bee
more neglected. We are induced to throw out
few suggestions touching the propagation of Fruit
with the hope that our readers may be stimulated Il
improve their old orchards by grating or plant nev
ones.
Fruit trees are universally propagated by seed
often times, however, by budding and grating
Propagation by seed is the natural mode, the olhe
modes are regarded artificial. The great objec
ton to growing fruit trees from seed, consists in
the great length Of time which must elapse before
the trees will become sufficiently matured to bear
fruit. great error seems to prevail in relation to
this matter. II is supposed that growth of 30
years is required TO secure fruit, when in fact fruit
may be obtained from seed in less time than ten
years.
1t is not uncommon for the gardeners in the vicn-
ty of our Atlantic Cities to obtain apples and pears
in six years from sowing the seed But to effect this
great skill and care must be exercised, The seed
should be sown in boxes in February or March,
and tended with the same care that our wives and
daughters devote TO their house plants. In June,
the young plants should be removed to a warm rich
soil in the garden, and transplanted in drills-occa.
sionally hoed and kept clean of weeds during the
summer. In the fall, they may be removed to the
cellar or covered with litter, to protect them from
the incemency Of the winter In the second spring
after sowing, they must be set out in the garden
beds in cross drills, about feet apart, and care
fully cultivated In July, the young trees will be
large enough TO receive buds, and the second year
from sowing, they will all be large enough to re.
ceive gratis We have known seedlings in this
county, both apples and pears, of only one years
growth, sufficiently large to graft The spring az
ter the budding il it found the bud has not taken
the young tree may be grated Whenever the
young trees are removed they should be transplant
ed with great care to such places are designed
for their permanent growth and if properly set out
with an abundance of compost about their roots,
they will bear fruit in less than ten years from the
sowing of the seed
There is a method Of propagation by layers and
cuttings; but it is rarely if ever adopted by farmers
or country gardeners for the reason we suppose that
seeding stocks are so abundant that they can east.
ly be obtained in sufficient quantities to satisfy
those who are engaged in horticultural pursuits.
DuNo'iS 10 otcu lcsOIttu 10 MIen the STOCK IS
small, or the tree rare. new branch can be OBJ
tanned from every eye, but by grating it requires
3 or years to produce tree Budding is the better
mode in propagating stone fruits, such as plums.
cherries and peaches, because they throw out gum
when grated.
Whenever grating has failed or been omitted in
the spring, budding may be resorted to in the sum
mer. There is this objection, however, to budding
that budded trees are two years later in producing
fruit than grated ones. The best mode of multi
plying varieties and sRb-varieties Of fruit trees en-.
dowed with particular qualities, which cannot with
certainty be transferred to plants by seeds, and
which would be multiplied too slowly by any other
mode is by grating.
In relation to the way and manner in which bud.
ding and grating is performed, we must con-
Tess we can give no written description. We
are constrained to say with the celebrated vii.
liam Goblet that each of these modes is
mechanical operation embracing numerous move
ments of the hands and fingers which is no more
to be taught by written directions, than the making
oil shoe" Yet, any farmer of ordinary mechan-
cal skill, can easily graf after having once witness
ed the operation.
The whole theory Of grating aside from the me-
chanlcal operation, consists in the following simple
rules, which we take from Loudon's Encyclopedia
Of Gardening -
" Varieties OF the same species must be united
The analogies of trees should be observed, both as
TO the movement of their sap and the qualities of
the juices Of their fruits The inner bark OF the
scion must be exactly united with the inner bark
OF the stock, otherwise the fine passage of the sap
will be obstructed, Care should be exercised in
choosing the proper season, and the operation
should be performed with CELEBRITY"
The stock will rot change the character of the
scion grated upon il, yet the favor and size
OF the fruit is more or less influenced and modified
by the character Of the stock "Sour crab stocks
will render apples 6rmer, they will keep longer and
have sharper flavor. If breaking pears are grated
on ounce stocks the fruit is rendered gritty or
stony while the melting pears are improved" So
says Miller an eminent English writer on Hortcul-
ture In the selection of stocks for transplantinp
or grating, avoid suckers as you would curse
ior II you plant suckers, you will raise nothing but
suckers The best stocks are the thousands of
hardy seedlings which are found scattered about
upon half the farms in this county These should
be properly transpanted to favorable locations
and may be grated at the period of transplantinp.
Seedlings which are not more than one inch in
diameter, with proper care. will produce fruit in
SIX or seven years from the setting ofthe scion.
In transPlanting, the trees should not be set out
hke ience posts large hole should be dug and
rich garden soil or compost Of muck and manure
should be applied to the roots. practicable the