St. Landry democrat., 1889-07-27
Elements Of Large Fruit Growing.
BY T. L. Drunk, PROFESSOR OF HORTI-
CULTURE AND BOTANY IN A. 81 NJ.
COLLEGE OF TEXAS.

portion of plant to another, whose rela-
tionship is SO close as to admit their union.
The laws of the affinities of species are
yet mostly unknown. All we have is en-
pirical knowledge as to what species can be
grated upon others. There is one general
law, however, that always holds true. tits,
that kinds to be grated, must belong to
the same botanic family. In this law
there are some peculiar difficulties. The
peach and apricot are grated on each
other with difficulty, while both do well
on the almond and plum. All cherries
unite with the Mahaleb, but it will not
succeed as a graft on any of the cherries.
The pear succeeds better on the ounce
than the apple, notwithstanding, the
pear and ounce belong to different genii,
and the pear and apple to the same genus
(pyrus). There is much to be learned
concerning the limitations of grating and
the necessary botanical relationships. 1t
is always better to unite by grating only
such plants as have about the same
amount of vigor, time of vegetation and
hardness. If any difference exist, it
should be that the scion be of later vege-
tation, but more vigorous and hardy.
This is shown by the pear and ounce, ap-
pie on French Paradise stock, and cherry
on Mahaleb cherry stock.
Scions should be cut in the fall from the
ripe wood of same years growth, and be
packed in damp sawdust till wanted,
either for winter or spring grating.
They should be cut from four to six inches
long and from vigorous trees, and be put
in lunches of fifty each.
The season for grating is any time of
the year except during the period of great
est growth in spring or early summer.
Most grating of apples, pears, peaches
and plums is done in winter time on seed
ling stocks, raised the preceding summer.
Peaches are seldom grated. Grating
tree for the purpose of changing the kind
of fruit can best be done in February and
March, just before the sap starts, but can
| we'll be done in the fall.
Grating is commonly performed to Sc
cure four different results: To prace the
! scion on more vigorous root, as in case
of grapes that do not resist the root louise
on their own roots. To preserve kinds
that do not come true from seed in multi
plying. For dwarfing purposes and to
change the fruit on large tree where it's
own is worthless. may say here that no
cultivated fruits come true from seed, or
near enough true to serve the honest nur-
| *
and budding are the only means of propa-
eating good and standard varieties in large
numbers.
The principle of grating lies in the fact
that the sap layer just between the bark
and sap wood of trees is the cambium
zone, that has growing and multiplying
cells which give rise to new layer of
wood and bark each year. The cambium
of the scion must exactly fit on that of the
| stock to insure success.
Apples are grated on apple seedlings
for standard trees, on Doucin stock for
| half dwarf and on Paradise for full dwarf
I None but standards are commonly raised
by nurserymen. The Seeding stocks are
procured from Northern nurserymen, who
raise them by the million, at a cost of about
four dollars per thousand.
The roots of these seedlings are cut up
into several parts, each being about four
inches long and from fourth to three
eighths of an inch thick. In the upper
end of each Of these pieces is made split
or cleft one inch and half deep, in which
the bark of the scion close to that of the
stock at every point. It is then tied by a
few turns of any twine-ravelings of hemp
YAK is needed to cover the graft, as it
would keep the tie from rotting off in the
spring as the graft starts to grow, and
necessitate cutting them. The gratis are
placed in damp saw dust and put in cool
place till spring. In setting out apple
CRAFTS in the spring, they should be in
serted in the ground deep enough to cover
the graft entirely with damp earth. An
other method largely practiced by nursery
men is whip grating the apples on pieces
of roots of seedlings. This is done by
making an oblique cut one and quarter
to half inches long, then cutting a tongue
on this cut surface about two thirds it,
length. Both scion and stock are cut the
same way and closely fitted together, the
tongue of one passing behind the tongue
of the other. Wrap it firmly with core
and place in saw dust. If any reader doe
, not understand either of the above method
. | will be glad to execute a sample ant
, send it to such person if notified by postal
| will add that success in this work de
ponds on four things:
, /. Good, vigorous stock. 2. A sharl
} knife that will make smooth, clean cut
g.. Rapid execution. 4. Fitting part
} snugly and tying firmly.
| The pear may be grated the same wa
as the apple but can be readily budded b
placing the seedlings in the nursery row
from the seed beds in the early spring o
the preceding fall, and following June ca
I be budded.
To form a dwarf pear it is worked O.
the ounce. The particular ounces use
for this purpose are the Anglers, Paris an
orange They are propagated quite easil
from cuttings made in the fall, and ker
: over winter in the ground, and to insur
: success it is best to apply little artificis
t heat to the but ends so as to start the ca
3 lousing before time to set in nursery rows
1 They are also more surely propagated
s layering. On these ounce stocks the pes
3 can be grated during the winter the sam
, as the apple.
The peach is seldom grated, yet, ma
pay if number of seedlings are at han
: in the winter on which the bud did ne
: take. They can be side-grafted in winte
when there is not much to do out of door
!. Of course it would be a question whethe
=! +. force budding would save more time an
y produce as good tree. We have SON
: very thrifty gratis growing, and a larg
- per cent of those grated are living.
n The plum is better grated than buddet
: Probably the best stock for this climate
the Chickasaw, The Mariana is readil
h grown from cuttings and forms an exec
4 lent stock. The seedlings or rooted Gu
), tings can be grated either where the
s stand in the nursery row or taken up an
n grated indoors during the winter. tt
roots should not be allowed in the latt'
case to become dry.
1t is sometimes desirable to top graft 8
fruits. This can be done in the fall
,. 1 afn o.