The Delta independent., 1911-01-20
MAKE THE BARREN APPLE
TREES YIELD FINE FRUIT
Simple Method of Grating vii
Bring the Most DOl mant Into
PrOdutiOn.


pie trees whose lives would be EN-
oaEeered ii their records for fruit
bearing was Investigated. Very often
they are healthy, thrifty looking
,rees in the best of condition as far
as wood growth is concerned.
In most of these cases there Is
nc reason other than the inertia
of the owner, for this unfruitful
condition.
The word grating has an ON
iuous and mysterious sound to some
who might, by surprisingly small
amount of work perform simple op-
Grafton of top grating, which
would be the cause of Sch barren
trees becoming fruitful and useful
as we'll as ornamental.
Almost any man or boy with the
least degree of ingenuity and dex-
terity can saw off limb, split the
stub and slip in couple of scions,
or twigs cut from some good apple
tree True, it may be a rough job,
but you will be surprised at the feel
ing of pride you will experience when
the little twigs begin to grow, and
later to blossom and bear fruit.
The process of top grating is not
so difficult to understand and to per-
from as the average person thinks.
First go to some good apple tree,
which you know is a good bearer
infv nd
scions. If for the novelty of the
thing, or for the purpose of expert
menting, you wish to try two or
more different varities, it is quite
practicable to graft several differ
ent varities on one tree. Trees have
been seen bearing seven or eight diff
erent kinds of apples at one time.
You may have to get your scions
from some neighbor tscions are
simply twigs from last years
growth) The scions shoutd be cut
while the tree is dormant, or any
time before growth sets in in the
spring, but preferably in the fall, as
the buds begin to swell sometimes
for your scions. the tips of the limbs
which have made growth of from
twelve to eighteen inches the pre-
vious summer. Do not take water
sprouts or shoots coming from the
trunk or large limbs. as buds from
these sprouts are not usually as
strong as are those from the nor
NAL growth. Cut the scions OF back
as far as the previous season s
growth extends and bury them In
moist sand or soil, either in the cell
lar or on the north side of the
building.
About the time the buds on the
trees begin to swell, or from the
first of March on, is the best time
to do the grating. The limbs to be
grated should be somewhere from
an inch to three inches in diameter.
They should be sawed squarely on
and the stubs split with a chisel,
down about two inches, squarely
through the middle. The chisel is
then removed and a wedge about
half an inch wide inserted in the
middle of the stub to spread the
split. II the wedge is much wider
than this it may not leave room to
insert the scion. Next take one of
the scion twigs and cut 1t into sew
eral ipeces, each having three or
four buds. Cus the larger end of
one of these pieces wedge shaped
and insert it in the split in the end
of the stub so that the third bud
from the tip comes a little below
the end of the stub. Put one scion
on each side of the wedge and ad-
Just them so that the inner bark
on the outer side of the scion
comes in contact with the inner barl
of the stub or large limb. Then
pull out the wedge and the wood
will spring together and hold the
scions. All freshly cut surfaces and
the crack in the limb should be COW
cred with grating wax to keep then
from drying out.
melting together two pounds of resir
A god grating wax is made by
one pound of beeswax and a half
pound of tallow. After they are
melted the liquid should be poured
in cold water and then pulled like
tafYy until it is bun color.