Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-06-26
Grating at Home.

The ord ina ry mode of grating, and one
of the easiest to perform, is known as cleft
grating; that is, inserting the scion in a
split or cleft in the stock. Grating is but
modification of propagating-by cuttings.
In both cases granulation must first take
place. Cuttings inserted in the earth then
throw out roots, but, when the cion is in
serted in proper stock, instead of roots
the parts grow together, and, forming a
perfect union, thenceforth are part, or
rather an extension of, the stock.
In cleft-grafting it is BETTER that the
stock be not very much larger than the
cion, although this is not essential; but il
is essential that the liber or inner bark
next the sapwood of the cion and of the
stock touch; so that in practice it is usual
in fixing the graft to turn the cion slight
ly out of perpendicular line, so that the
inner bark of both stock and cion may
cross, thus insuring contact at some
point.
To graft successfully, procure your
cions or sticks of gratis of the previous
years growth, if cut in the spring, or if cut
in the fall then of the current years
growth. Care must be taken that the
ciOns do not become dry. To prevent
this, they may be packed in moist sand or
near the freezing point until wanted for
use; for if, through contact with the air
they become dried, even in a small de
gree, they are unlikely to grow, if indeed
they do not fail entirely.
Now provide yourself with a stout
knife-a strong butcher.knife will do-a
fine saw, some thin wedges thicker than
the cioRs, small mallet, grating wax, a
keen knife, and your ciOns cut to three
buds each, and kept in water until
wanted Saw off the stock square, place
the knife across the middle of the stick
sawn off, and split it with light blow,
being careful not to wound the bark with
the mallet; insert wedge which should
be narrow enough so as to leave space
sufficient on each side for the insertion of
the cions, If two are to be used In this
case the gratis may be sharpened to a
true wedge shape, but if only one is to be
inserted it should be sharpened toward a
feather edge on one side so that when the
wedge is taken out the pressure will
be perfect on the outer edge. Cut the
cion so that two buds will be left above
the stock, and when fixed so that the in
ner bark of both meet turn the top
slightly inward, to insure that it meets at
ssme point Some persons then tie the
whole securely with yarn that has been
drawn through melted grating wax but
the usual practice nowadays is simply to
cover the whole with grating wax, and
so proceed until the required number of
gratis are set.
In case you want TO graft a large
orchard, place the required number of
gratis in one side of the tree, if large,
leaving the branches TO grow on the other
side, or else leave sufficient branches here
and there to grow one season, TO carry
tho superabundant sap. A good practice
in this connection would also be to root.
prune the trees so operated on.
To make grating wax for outdoor
work, to one pint of linseed oil. take
four or five pounds of rosin and one and
one.half TO two pounds Of beeswax, melt
together and then stir until nearly cold,
when it is to be pulled until it will work
easily and spread from the hand or it
may be used warm enough to be applied
with brush.
Grating should be performed before
the foliage appears, although it may be
successfully practiced after the leaves ap'
pear, if the gratis have been kept doImant.
The best time, however, is just as the
buds of the trees to be grated are swell
ing. The stone fruits, as cherries, plums
and peaches, are worked first; then the
pip fruits, as apples and pears. There Is
nothing necessary to enable any person
to graft successfully but little practice,
and any one with little skill may easily
acquire the art.-WeSterR RurdL.