The Republican Journal

GRAFTING ORCHARDS.

Most men think when the tree is grafted the work is done, the tree will do the rest, and never look after the graft. The result is, either no graft grows, or a long slim twig, crooked with water sprouts. Sometimes they will trim some limbs off and leave a water sprout for a graft, and when that bears fruit, they accuse the grafter of taking cuttings from the same tree and then heap all kinds of abuse upon the grafter. They never think of laying the blame on themselves for negligence.

Some say you must not trim the balance of the brush off the tree for two or three years, for fear of hurting the tree, when they will do other things more injurious to the tree. If a farmer wants better fruit, find what kinds bring the best price in the market, and likewise find out what kinds are hardiest on your kind of soil, and the best bearers in your neighborhood. Reports from a different State or different soil from yours are of no use to you.

Be careful in sawing your limbs, keep the top an oval form, put in plenty of grafts, more on the west side than on the east, for the trees draw to the eastward, and as soon as the water sprouts get well started, pull them off from the limbs that have been grafted. If the grafts make a good growth the first year, the next spring take all or nearly all of the balance of the limbs from the tree; if you leave any till the next spring leave them so that they will not interfere with the grafts. Keep the tree clear from the water sprouts, which is easily done with the hand. If the grafts get too heavy so they begin to crook about, strip some of the leaves off and the limbs will harden, and you will have thick, stocky grafts, and will soon heal over, and you will soon realize a benefit from grafting old trees.