Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-03-31
Contributed for the Delaware Tribute
The Culture of Fruit.
No. T..
BY JOSIAH HOopIs

Every orchardist who intends making o
business of growing fruits, should have a
specimen plantation, wherein every variety
of merit may be tested on his own soil, and
thus arrive at a pretty correct conclusion as
to the best and most profitable kinds for his
own particular situation. In fact such an
arrangement is almost indispensable, as the
amount of capital that is annually wasted
by planting largely Of varieties of good re-
1outation, is becoming really alarming,
especially to the novice just entering into
the business. Because a variety succeeds
well in some particular section of country,
or even in many places, is no criterion for
any planter OF his own wants. A short dis
tance will very frequently cause a vast diff
terence in the usefulness OF many fruits.
The frequent advice to raise Seeding varie-
ties, under the supposition shat such will
always prove more reliable, is poor, very
poor policy to adopt, for where the expert
menter obtains one prize, he will draw
hundreds of blanks in this horticultural lot
terry. Therefore it becomes necessary for
each one to test for himself what is best to
plant, and rely solely upon experience, in
stead of being guided by the Judgement of
his friends. 1t is not essential that a tree of
each kind should be planted, but one main
trunk may do duty for several, indeed have
taoenty distinct seedlings now coming into
bearing, all on one bearing tree. When
variety is known to be rather weak in
growth, it should have position near the
top, and those with vigorous constitutions
may be worked on the lower limbs. The
owner OF few old pear trees in healthy
state, has prize which is too often unap-
preciated and if unproductive, or not valu-
able in other ways they are mostly me-
elected altogether. Such should not be the
case, for these matured stocks are just what
is most needed, and in two or three years
time may be readily converted into bearing
trees, and gsod crop of delicious pears be
relied on. Some of the largest collections
of this fruit that l have ever seen, were
grown in this way, and the owners placed
high value on them in every case.
In the case of working over old trees, l
would suggest that for grating, the limbs
should be sawed off pretty close, and instead |
of splitting open the wood as is usually done
in cleft grating, the bark alone should |
be slit down on one side, and the scion |
shaved smoothly not in the shape of a |
wedge, but on one side as if for splice- |
grating. Slip the graft underneath the |
bark of the limb Cor where the limb is large, |
a graft may be inserted on two or even three |
sides) and then tie tightly. Grafting-wax
must be applied to every portion of the |
exposed wound, and the operation is COM
pleted. When the graft commences to grow.
The young wood will speedily spread over,
and entirely cover the end of the limb, a
more perfect juncture being thus effected,
han by any other known method. On |
smaller limbs the usual style of cleft-graft.
ng may be employed Budding or innocu-
ating may also be successfully practised on
arge specimens, by saving Off portion of |
he limbs short distance from The main |
body of the tree. This operation should be |
performed early in the Spring, and either
yrafting-wax, clay, gum -shellac, or similar
for preserving the wound. must
DC applied. Indeed the wood is always
liable TO decay after pruning. if the mir Is
not prevented from coming in contact with |
is surface, and it is advisable TO always
Keep gum -sbellac dissolved in alcobo, on
land for such emergencies. The vouns |
hrifty shoots that start ont from the ends of |
hese sawed limbs, will be in a spitah,c state
jor budding about the latter end of Aucus, |
,r beginning of September. and the oncra-
ion can then he successfully nerformcd Inv |
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