The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-02-15

the WOnQrOuS arrangements VI udCuIS
just happened so.
The hardware companies furnish
the tool with which the splitting is
done, and on this tool is wedge to
hold the split open till the scions are
inserted. Where the stub is very stiff
and may press too hard on the gratis
it is we'll to leave a small wooden
wedge in the center. Now the placing
of the scions in the cleft is one of the
very important things to be done in
order to do successful work. To I'M
derstand this properly it must be re-
membered that tree grows only on
the outside. The growing part of the
scion must be brought in contact with
the growing part of the stub. Hence
the inner bark of the scion must be
in contact with the inner bark of the
stock. If the scions were set in the
center of the stub they would not
grow at all, for the hard wood of the
stock will never grow-it is finished
wood. While some sap flows up
through part of the hard wood, yet
that does not build up the tree nor di-
rectly assist the growth. The elab-
Grated sap flowing from the leaves to
the different parts of the tree causes
all the growth, and that is always next
to the bark. Between the bark and
the matured wood is where the. cam
blum layer is formed, and each year
makes new ring of growth. Many
failures of grating arise from not
placing the scion as here described
The next important step is exclud-
ing the air from the wounds made
~, no in thiQ
purpose is grating wax This wax is
made by taking six parts of resin,
one part of beeswaX and one part of
tallow. Melt them together, and when
they are thoroughly mixed in the melt
ed condition, pour the mass into cold
water, and as soon as cooled enough
work with the hands till it becomes of
the color of light manila paper. We
use this wax by keeping it in small
bucket over a slow fire, and apply it
when hot with paddle. Every ex.
posed wound is thoroughly covered,
even the tip end of the graft This
well applied will absolutely keep out
the air and water. With the graft
properly placed and the wound prop
erly waxed nearly every scion will
grow.
In the last few years we have top
grated some 1900 trees, in most cases
about 10 years old in the orchard.
Our success has been marvellous. Prof.
G. V. Piper of the Department of Agri-
culture Washington, D. c., spent a
day and night with us on our fruit
farm last August. l showed him these
top-worked trees, and he said he had
never seen anything surprising our
success in all his observations. We
expect to tOp-wOrk about 1000 more
trees the coming spring. We will not
keep an Improbable variety of apple
growing on our farm. 1t is far better
to work over improbable varieties
than to dig them up and plant new
trees In from three to five years
these new tops come into full bear
ing.
The time to do this top-grafting is in
the spring, about when the buds are
bursting into leaves. 1t may be done
earlier where much is to be done, or
it may be done after the trees are in
full leaf. The -scions must be cut
in the winter and kept dormant and
not allowed to dry out. A dormant
scion and a sappy stub is the rule to
81 n.y. LII SlolIlHS q .iO0' o'J' ~
years old, We pick out from four to
five of the main prongs and graft
them. Be sure to select the limbs to
be grated so as to have a we'll bal
anced top. All the limbs not granted
should be left on till the next spring,
when they should be cut off. These
limbs should be left so that there
will be leaf surface in which the sap
may be elaborated. Remember that
the nutriment taken in through the
roots can not build up the tree till it
goes out into the leaves, where it
meets the sunlight and air and takes
in carhOn which combines with this