, 1858-05-07
agriculture.


OEoAtAu|e
In late number Of the Genesee Valley
Farmsr we find an interesting and instructive
article on Grating, which we copy entire,
and recommend to the careful perusal Of our
country friends-as follows: 'li-e3
Inthe early settlement Of the country, fruit
trees were generally s'ropagated from seed.
But trees propagated in this way, from kinds
however good, gave no assurance that the
seeding trees would produse fruit possessing
any Of the good qualities possessed by the
parent New varieties are thus produced,
but generally where one Seeding tree pro-
duced fruit, equal or superior to its parent,
many would prove inferior, and frequently
they are 50 degenerated that they are worth
less. In order to obviate this difficulty, and
opropagate those kinds only that are worthy
Of cultivation, grating and budding are re.
sorted to. Grating was understood by the
ancients. Fifty or more different methods
were practised by the Romana But since the
demand for fruit trees in this country calls
for them by thousands, but two different
modes Of grating are generally. practised,
and these are such as can be performed with
the greatest facility. The most common
method Of grating apple trees nowpractised
by extensive nurserymen is 10 SOW the apple
seed either in the fall or spring. The seed.
ling on good land, and properly cultivated,
will by fall be large enough to graf. These
are taken upand packed in the cellar, andthe
business of grating Is carried on all through
the winter. The gratis are packed in boxes,
mixed and covered with moss, pulver zed rot
ten wood or light earth, and placed in the eel
lar until the season Of setting out arrives in
the spring. Roots grated in this way are
cut into two or more pieces, according totheir
size and length, each piece forming q root for
an individual tree.
If the graft is set in the stock or root, 50
that the sap may aOw upwards without inter
ruptiou, and that which Is elaborated by the
swelling bud and leaves may flow freely
downwards through the inner bark, the union
is surely and readily formed. In order to
secure this, certain requisites are to be re-
garded, the first Of which Is, that the oper-
alton be performed with sharp knife, so that
the parts may be cut smoothly, without mutil-
sting the pores or sap vessels. and the two
parts be brought into immediate and even
contact. Secondly, that the parts be so
brought together that permanent an6 con-
siderable pressure be applied so as to keep
the parts in their proper places. Thirdly,
that the unionof the inner bark and the wood,
both Of the graft and the root, be brought
together, soas to exactly correspond. Where
the graft and the stock are not Of the same
size, this union must be secured on one side.
With correct knowledge Of the requisites
for grating, little practice will soon make
one perfect in the operation.
Formerly the stocks, at one year old, were
Get in the nursery rows, and cultivated one
year, and then grated at the surface Of the
ground. Itis contended that trees propa.
gated In this way are better and longer lived
than those that are "root grafed.p Our ex.
perience does not enable us to answer this
question. This last Is . more tedious and
expensive operation, and cen only be done
in the spring Of the year, when other oper.
atiOns are pressing. In some nurseries
stocks are set in the same way we have men.
toned and budded in the fall ata cOmpar-
atively more leisure time. oqal, .zaassa
Another method Of grating is extensively
praCtised in seeding orchards BY removing
the large limbs and inserting gratis in their
stumps, or where Il Il desirable to have
specimen fruit. A great variety Of apples
Of pears may be inserted in the same tree.
One method Of grating istermed whip OF
tongue greaiag. In making the tongue
tho downward cut should BE- aI the.y very