The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-10
TOP Grating.

nave ldQ thirty years experience IN
top grating. and I regard the subject
of vast Importance to the orchardist
and fruit grower. as he is able TO
change his fruit at will. says ]. II. B.
in Indiana Farmer. If he is not salts
fed with his FIRST choice, ii is very
easy to replace new tops of the kinds
Of apples, pear or cherry he may de-
sire. 1t is a great mistake to think
that all kinds of fruit will grow to per-
lection in any and all kinds of soil or
climate. 1t is necessary to study the
soil and climate before purchasing
your fruit trees.
Comparatively few people know how
grating should be done to make it
successful Thousands of fruit trees
need grating over to make them worth
the ground they occupy. ! have found
by experience that il is very easy TO
replace a new top on an apple tree
even after it is fifteen or twenty years
old, and 1 will give my plan that has
always proved a success in top graft
ing.
Small limbs should be taken. Where
the graft is inserted, the limb should
not be more than an inch through,
with two cions inserted at each cut
ting Some large trees require from
one to two hundred gratis in order to
make a perfect topped tree. Some may
think that number too large, but re-
member the gratis on small limbs do
not grow any larger than the limbs
you cut off, and in order to have as
perfect a top as before, a large num-
Der of limbs must be grated. 1t is
much different with young trees. You
70 c~v-u 81 70 "a IoIx
er crafts, and in time It will develop
into a large tree.
Grating should. be done as soon as
the sap starts in the spring; the last
of March or the first of April is the
best time for grating. Crafts set at
this time of the year will grow to be
from two to four feet high the first
year. At that time the bark is tight
on the tree, and you will not be so
likely to injure' the tree by the re-
moving of the bark. Great care should
be taken in climbing into the trees
with leather shoes or boots. You are
almost sure to injure the bark. I al
ways use rubber boots.
There is no use in spending your
time in grating large trees, unless you
have the time to care for them. Corn
will prove a failure to produce a good
crop, even if planted with the best of
not cultivated. 30 WITH
ing. The suckers should be kept off,
as they rob the gratis of their susie
nance. often causing them to wither
and die after they have leaved out. AS
soon as the gratis are we'll started, be-
gin near to the graft and remove a
few limbs, say back two feet from the
graft. The next spring, if a young
tree, remove all limbs not grated. On
old trees cut all of the largest limbs
tzI 81. a. ~,
the top of the limb. BY the third year,
your gratis have grown to that extent
1t is safe to take all brush from the
tree. The graft must come in contact
with sap which is just under the bark
1t is not necessary to set the graft
straight with the sap; set 1t so as to
be sure 1t crosses the sap line, and it
will be sure to grow. l once saw a.
man grating who, instead of splitting
the limb, took a gimlet and made a
hole in the center of limb, whitfield the
graft round like a pin, put 1t in the
hole tight and waXed ii. I said to
him that his CRAFTS would not one of
them grow. He said, 81 know better;
1 have grated in this way before and
they all grew" / never tried his plan
but have no objection to others try
ing it. One thing IS certain, if they
will grow in that way one graft in a
limb is all sufficient.
By splitting the limb, two gratis are
required in order to heal over the stub
in the quickest possible time. If they
become too thick, thin out with a knife
or saw, as you should do after the stub
is healed over.
If you have trees that pay well, take
the gratis from such trees by cutting
the last years growth. Never use wa
ter sprouts. Cut your CRAFTS as you
use them, is the best way. Graft as few
kinds as possible. Concentrate your
varieties as much as possible to a few
of the best-paying kinds. and you will
make no mistake.
1t seems that any young farmer
should be able, after reading these d.
rections. to graft knowingly and sue
cessfully. He can surely make no bet
ter use of his time during the spring
than grating over a few worthless
fruit trees.
In making grating wax, take Z
pounds of rosin, 2 pounds of beeswaX
l pound of beef tallow, and put in
kettle and melt. When thoroughly
melted add ounces of raw linseed oil.
Stir well, then dip out into some other
vessel that is partly filled with water,
and with creased hands get it together
and work it until it is of a cream color.
BY boring hole in a post and driving
in stout pin you have a fine thing
to pull your wax over. Every man
who has trees that he values should
use this wax in covering all wounds.
1t will pay.
have omitted to say how the graft
should be prepared. Cut it in a wedge
shape, leaving 1t a little the thickest
on the outside. leaving three buds as
the length. l use a knife for splitting
the stub and opening the split for the
graft. all in one it is made curved
shaped, with wedge turned UP. Cut
the bark first as it is driven in with
q Ooallaf