The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-16
[coMMuNIcATEp.
Bark or Bud Grating.

From the Western HorticuItay'ist of .4pril last.
As the season is now approaching in which
frut-tree and other grating is generally practised
would suggest, for the benefit of persons engaged
in that operation, a plan which | have successfully
adopted for the last two seasons And without
supposing it new although it is not the one usu-
ally recommended in books) will describe it and
its advantages over the common cleft-grafting
have no doubt it is described among MIR. Thomas s
fifty methods; but never having seen those, and
supposing majority of graftcrs in the like pre-
dicament, am induced to give it publicity
This system, however, only applies to trees Of
half an inch or more in diameter. For smaller
stocks and roots, whip-splicc and cleft grating
are preferable. In consequence of the numerous
mistakes of nursery men from whom have pur-
chased trees, after fruiting large portion of my
apples and pears, have been induced to regraft
many, which l did in the usual way, (by cleft
grafting) and having regularly lost about thirty
three per cent. by the wind blowing them out,
after making fine, vigorous growth of more than
two feet, came to the conclusion that must
adopt some other method, which have tried for
the last two seasons without having single one
blown out. | off the limb or stock square
across, and pare it smooth, the same as for cleft
grating, without splitting the stock, but merely
the bark one-half or three-fourths of inch down.
on one or more sides according to the number of
gratis which wish to insert, and utter preparing
the scion or graft, taking as usual three buds;
only two, and in several instances only one sue
cessfully. Cut the graft diagonally across, with
slope of about an inch long, then with the point
of the knife open the bark at the top of the slit
sufficiently to introduce the cut point of the graft,
push it gently down until no more of the cut por-
the operation is fnished ut the end of the season
of growth you will find that your graft has grown
firmly to the side, being almost as strong as any
other lateral shoot; and, if you put two or three
in, by the end of the second or third season the
whole top Of the stock, if not too large, will be
covered by the callus, and look perfectly natural
whereas cleft-grafing, owing to the split in the
stock, never fills up; moisture gets in, which, pro-
ducing disease, ultimately causes the tree, fire.
quently when it has attained full growth to split
and break down. have lost no less than four
out of row of ten fine twelve-year old Belleheu1
apple trees this last season which were grated
five feet from the ground in the old way. As a
covering for the graf, Il always use cheap muslin
dipped in hot grating wax, cut into strips from
one-half to one inch wide; it saves teing and time
and is much neater.
A scion can be inserted OH the side of any limb
by opening the bark in the same way as for bud
ding, or graft neatly fitted into gimlet hole
on any part of stock or limb will answer equally
well; in fact, it is a beautiful methed when you
wish to fill up with a limb any naked space, for
the sake OF symmetry
T. v. PETICOLAS. Is
MARCH 10, 1853. e
The undersigned has practised bud or bark
grating upwards of eight or ten years success
fully, and has never seen but one blown off by
storms, which originated from shoot growing up
by the graft and robbing it of nourslment to per-
feet the union of the bark. He has engrafted on
smaller and larger sizes, than described in the
above letter, apple, pear, plum, and apricot.
JOSEPH l.. SMITH.
WASHINGTON, July Is, 1853.