Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-09-22
For the VERMONT FARMER.
Care Of Newly Grated Trees.

AT the risk Of repeating some things
which you may already have published, L
will venture few words upon the above
named topic.
Many people, had almost said major.
ity, who procure grating done allow their
trees to remain with but little after care and
then find fault with tho CRATER because the
work proves failure.
The success Of grated trees depends very
much upon the after treatment which they
may receive. The scious may have been
well set in good thrifty trees and yet prove
failure because Of after neglect.
The tree should receive scious enough to
make full top; this can be done without
injury il small limbs, only those one inch or
less in diameter, arc cut. Care should be
taken to so distribute the scions as to form
IN even, woll-balanced head, and no branches
which cross each other or grow toward the
centre of the tree should be grated.
In order to set the necessary number Of
scions the tree will receive all the pruning
required for the time being. During the
summer all sprouts which start on the stock
near the scion should be rubbed or cut off
Success will be much more certain If this is
attended TO, as the natural sprouts, if allowed
TO remain, will rob and starve the scion
which instead of making full, vigorous
growth will remain small and stunted.
With this care allow the trees to remain an.
til the season Of growth has closed, until,
perhaps, the fall Of the leaf. Then prune
away portion Of tho branches, not all as
is practiced by some, for this course destroys
too suddenly the balance between the top
and root, and frequently causes the death of
the tree. About one.half the natural
branches should be taken away at this time.
1t requires the exercise Of some judg-
ment to decide which branches to cut and
which to leave; the novice will be pretty
sure to leave the wrong ones. Take out the
larger limbs which are growing near the
scions inexperienced workmen seem afraid
to meddle with these and consequently leave
them, the result being that after another
years growth these branches are much
larger than the stock containing the scion
and their removal thus causes an ugly wound,
while the scion, themselves will be small aud
weak, having been robbed by the large
branches which should have been pruned
away the year before.
But one scion should ultimately be
allowed to grow in each stock. If both start
and grow thrifty the one which is to be re-
moved should be shortened in at the close of
the first season so as to check its growth.
With this precaution both may be allowed to
grow one or two seasons longer, or until the
growth Of the two scions completely covers
the end of the grated stock when the
weaker one should be cut entirely away.
At the close of the second season if the
sciOns have grown thriftily, which will be
the case if the tree has received proper at.
tendance all, or nearly all of the remaining
natural growth may be removed; if any is
allowed to remain it should be removed at
the close Of the third cas- when the tree,
il properly worked at the beginning, will
have full, well.formed, vigorous head and
be in much better condition than it would
have been, had two or three seasons been
spent in setting the scions. j. ii. p.
Grafton, ~.