Connecticut western news., 1879-09-24
FARM AND GARDEN.
WHIP GRAPHING AND CLEFT. GRAFTIl

DuCQ1Qg IS GO increase VRr16GloS GnaC Can- not be produced from seed with certain ty. Grating is frequently performed, however, for other objects, for instance, to fruit new variety, in which case a cion inserted in branch of bearing tree will produce fruit oftentimes the second year from the graft, while If the same cion had been put on young seeding it would not have fruited, per- haps in ten years.
 As rule all gratis succeed best on trees of their own species or those closely allied to it. Experience has es- tablished the fact that there must be between the stock and graft close affinity. One cannot, for instance, graft an apple on 8 peach nor cherry on 8 pear, but the pear, apple, quince, thorn and mountain ash-a naturally allied groap-have been, with more or less success, worked upon one another. In many cases the peach and apricot have been grafted with beneficial results on the plum and the pear on the quince i; strong growing species and varieties on weaker ones and vice versa, by which desirable notifications are wrought, not only in the size and fruitfulness of trees, but in the quality of the fruits.
 Stock may be of any age from seed lings to old trees for grating, but great care should be exercised that they are round and healthy. This is especially important in the case of the peach, sub ject in many sections to the "yellows, :" and the plum, so liable to the we'll known fungous disease termed |" black knot." In either budding or grafting, whatever may be the kind of variety, select and plant out only stocks which give unmistakable promise of health and vigor.
 Cions are usually shoots of the pre- ceding years growth. They are cut in autumn after the fall of the leaf or in winter, and can be preserved in earth until wanted for use. Cions should in- variably be of firm, well-ripened wood taken from the upper branches of 8 healthy, vigorous tree. A Amedium-sized shoot or c1on, when sound and well matured, serves the purpose to which it is put much better than larger one that is unripe and pithy. P. Barry, Koch ester, N. Y., advises when oions are de- signed for roof-grafting early in the spring in the house to bury their lower ends in earth in 8 cool, dry cellar; but if wanted for out door grating it is rec- commended that they be buried in dry sand soil in pit on the north side of 8 wall or fence and deeply covered with earth drawn up in mound to throw off the water. They are thus kept perfectly dormant until used, and not so dry as to shrivel the bark.
 In whip-grafting or splice grating performed on small trees knife only is required, though it is more convenient to have two knives-one to prune and do the rough part of the work and the other to prepare the cion. The instruments should be sharp enough to make smooth, clean cuts. The cion must be cut close to bud at the point, and have bud at the shoulder or point of union with the stock. It is also necessary that the inner barks of cion and stock be placed in contact, and the whole cut surface and every portion of the split perfectly covered with composition to exclude air and water.
 Grating composition is prepared in a variety of ways. A usual one is rosin, beeswax and tallow in about equal parts. At the Mount Hope nurseries it has been found expedient to use little more rosin and less beeswax and tallow, the proportion being two pounds of rosin, one and one-fourth pounds of beeswaz and three-fourths of 8 pound of tallow. In grating the heads of large trees where it is not convenient to use the composition in melted state the com. position is made of consistency that admits of it's being put on with the hands. A small quantity of brick dust added will prevent its being melted by the sun. Tallow may be superseded by raw linseed oil-one pint of which is equal to pound of tallow--int the graft ing composition. At the nurseries al luded to thin calico cloth, saturted with the composition, has been found more convenient and expeditions for whip. grating on the root, and small trees ir the nursery than the composition itself For root-grafts, in place of the cloth may be employed Q cheap brown article known as ''grafting paper" by those who prefer it. The liquid wax is spread or the paper with 8 brush, after which it is cut in strips for use. The cloth is torn in strips and soaked in the composition until all the pores are filled. Two ol three turns of it are made around the graft securing it perfectly. The cloth soon decays and yields to the enlarge ment of the part inclosed. Tar and sim liar material are also employed.
 In whip grating the sloping cut and tongue corresponding in stock and graft a1e fitted into each other and the inner bark of both placed in close contact. Either the cloth prepared as described or the liquid wax may be applied. Stocks an inch in diameter can be graft ed in this manner. On trees or branches too large for whip-grafting cleft-graftiag is practiced, in which the cion is cut in the form of a wedge, the part for inser- tion in the stock being an inch or an inch and a-half long, with bud at the shoulder where it is to rest on the stock. A sloping cut is made on the stock about an inch and a,half' long; another cut is made across this cut about half way