Farm And Garden

FARM AND GARDEN

ROOT GRAFTING

When and How to Graft--Care of the Grafts--Time of Planting.

Professor E. E. Faville has given in the Kansas Farmer a very clear exposition of the operation of root grafting, and it will answer the need of many fruit growers who are interested in but unfamiliar with this process, as to the value of which much diversity of opinion exists. He says:

Root grafting is usually practiced indoors after the winter has set in. A good time to begin the operation is near the beginning of the new year. In root grafting the apricot or peach the stocks used are young trees grown one year from seed and are called "seedling stock. " These are dug up in the autumn and stored in a cool cellar, in sandy loam, until ready for grafting. The scion should be of the preceding season's growth and should contain two or more healthy leaf buds. Scions are generally cut in late autumn or during mild weather in early winter and are commonly stored in moist sawdust, moss or leaves in a cool cellar until needed for use. The scions should not be kept so moist as to cause a swelling of the buds nor so dry as to cause shriveling.

In root grafting the plum, cherry, peach, apricot and fruits of that class the whip graft or side graft is used. The whip graft is the method usually employed and is made as follows: The scion used is about six inches in length. The whole root is used for the stock, with the above fruits, cutting off about an inch from the end of the root. The scion and stock should be about the same thickness. Both are cut off with a slanting cut, about an inch long. A tongue is then formed on each by cutting the wood longitudinally for a short distance on the bevel already made, thus forming a tongue. In joining the tongue of the scion is well inserted into the split of the stock, pushing it well down with considerable force, fitting it so that the cambium of the scion will coincide with the cambium of the stock.

The parts are held together best by means of waxed cloths or bands, made by spreading melted wax over thin muslin, which is cut into narrow strips when dry. The wax for making waxed cloth is made of a mixture of four parts of rosin, two of tallow and one of beeswax. All of the parts about the union should be well covered with the waxed cloth or bands. The grafts are then packed in sand or sandy loam in a cool cellar until spring. The scions should be covered by the earth packing in such a way as to cover only the waxed cloth.

In planting out in the spring place the grafts in the ground up to the top bud. In root grafting the operator should bear in mind that the roots should never become dry.

Professor Faville concludes with the advice to use only sharp knives, a good shoemaker's knife with a thin blade being best. The cut here given does not occur in Professor Faville's article, but is reproduced from a report of the Kansas station, as giving an idea of the root development of an apple tree from a whole root graft which was buried about five inches below the surface of the soil. The whitened portion of the root is the original stock. The other roots formed from the scion.

DEVELOPMENT FROM WHOLE ROOT GRAFT