HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Among the Orchards of the Northwest
Thil ii the first of two articles
by 0. M. Morris, horticulturist, and
0. B. Spragne, assistant horticultur
ist, of the state agricultural experi
ment station at Pullman, Wash., con
cerning top-grafting of fruit trees.
Those who desire to change estab
lished varieties of trees to another
variety will find this article well
worth their while.
TOP Grafting and Top Working are
terms used to designate the process
of grafting in the tops of trees that
re well established, vigorous and hardy
ing that is done in the top of the tree
for the purpose of changing the top of
the tree over to another or other varie
ties. The work may be done by budding
in the summer or by UBing scions car
rying several bnds set by grafting in
the late winter or early spring. The
need for this work arises from the fact
that there are now many fruit trees that
arewell established, vigorous and hardy,
but are not producing profitable crops
of fruit Many of these trees can be
grafted over to more profitable varieties.
This work is not done for the purpose of
improving the scion variety, but for the
purpose of using the root system and
trunk that has grown as a short cut to
the fruiting of another variety. It 1b
sometimes nsed as a short-cut method of
growing to the fruiting stage several
new or untried varieties on a few trunks
and limited land areas. In this way it is
a eheap method of testing varieties.
The top grafting of trees that are of
fruiting size can often be used very
profitably. If the work is properly done
the new top will begin to fruit in three
or four years and in some eases even
earlier. When fruit production is re-
te .. . -.
Fig. 1. Stub to be grafted, being split
established it is in a tree much older
and larger than would be possible to
have if the old tree had been taken out
and. a young tree planted in its place.
When the profitable and unprofitable
trees are known and the unprofitable
trees are of fruiting age and are strong,
hardy, and well formed, top grafting can
frequently be used as the best and
cheapest way ont of a bad situation.
In very special eases trees of exception
al vigor and hardiness may be planted
and grown for a few years for the pur
pose of forming good trunks and frame
work, on which more tender varieteies
are to be worked.
Scion Wood.
Large open spaces in tree tops can
often be filled in by top working. There
are many other ways in which this can
be used to advantage. It should not
be used except in rare cases as a pri
mary or principal practice, but as an
aid or mafte-Bhift. It is seldom ad
visable to top-work trees that have been
planted only two or three years. If
young trees are undesirable it is bet
ter to take them out and plant again.
Old trees that have passed far into de
cline are seldom worth this attention.
The scion wood for top grafting
should be gathered from trees of the
desired vigor and fruiting habit. Strong,
well-ripened wood of the last 'season 's
growth is best. It should be cut from
the trees several days or even months
before it is to be used and stored in
moist sand or earth in a cool place
where it will remain dormant. It is ad
visable to cut this material before prun
ing is done so that better wood can be
selected without injury to the purest
tree. The scions can be cut from the
parent tree and set as grafts the same
day with good results, if the work is
done in the spring after the buds begin
to swell but before any are open. This
is the best time for doing the work, but
it ean be done a little earlier or a little
later with good results. Wood larger
.- .w, -
than three-eights of an inch in diameter
or less than three-sixteenths of an inch
is objectionable. The larger wood will
not work well and the smaller wood is
often not well matured and is not as vig
orous as it is desirable. The central sec
tion of the twig usually makes the best
scions, although the very tip may be
nsed if well matured and plump.
Cleft Grafting.
The cleft graft is the most common
form used. The tools needed for this
work are a sharp, fine-toothed pruning
saw, a sharp, thin bladed knife with a
straight edge, a cleft grafting knife or
tool, and a short elub or mallet A
good pockete knife can be used quite sat
isfactorily for cutting and shaping the
scions. The best form of cleft grafting
knife or tool is one similar to that
shown in Pig. 1, which was made by a
blacksmith from a piece of steel. The
concave edge of the tool will not loosen
the bark from the wood in spitting the
stub as a straight edged tool will do.
The best form of mallet consists of a
piece of green apple branch about two
inches in diameter and fifteen inches
long swung over the wrist by a loop of
soft cord or strap.
The scions should be set in stubs not
more than two and.one-half inches in di
ameter. It is seldom advisable to use
stubs less than one inch in diameter. The
stubs selected for grafting should be
well distributed through the tree top. It
is not a good practice to cut the top
form the framework and graft into
back to the three or four large limbs
that form the frame work and graft into
these. It is usually the best plan to
graft not more than one-half of the
top at one time. If one-half is grafted
one spring the other half can be worked
over the next Bpring. Many successful
men find it best in working over large
pji. ' r ...
with a cleft-grafting knife.
trees to distribute the work over three
seasons, grafting one-third of it each
year. By following this plan the largest
proportion of scions set will grow, the
best form and vigor of the tree will
be maintained and the earliest fruiting
of the new wood secured.
Grafting Process Simple.
The process of grafting is very sim
ple and can be done successfully by any
one after a little practice. The branch
into which the scions are to be set is
cut off leaving a stub three or mori
inches long. The grafting knife is
placed across the stub and driven down
with the mallet until the stub is split
about three inches, as shown in Fig. 1,
and then lifted out with a stroke from
the mallet on point B. The tool is then
reversed and the point A is driven into
' ' ' ; !
liiilllBiilllte
urn . u 1 i ,?l'i" i. '- i V
Fig. 8. A cleft grafter stub ready for
waxing,
How To Plant Orchard Trees Told
Conclusion of Interesting Article by W. 8. Thornber, Written
for Newcomer to West
In last week's issue we began an
interesting article on thia page by
Mr. W. S. Thornber on the manner
in which orchard trees should be
planted. Owing to lack of space,
the article was not concluded. Here
are' the final salient features in
Mr. Thornber 'a remarks.
IF THE SOIL is moist enough and yet
well drained, and well ripened nur
sery stock can be secured before cold
weather sets in, fall planting is prob
ably the best, but since our trees fre
quently continue to grow in the nur
sery until late in November it is almost
impossible to get naturally ripened
stock in time for fall planting. For
this reason early spring planting is pre
ferable. Secure the trees in the fall
and carefully heal them in near to
where they are to be planted so that
the slit as a wedge and holds the split
open while the scions are placed as
shown in Fig. 2. A blow on the knife
at point C lifts out the tool and the
split closes firmly on the scions and the
graft is finished and ready to be waxed
over.
The scions are cut about four or five
inches long. The point placed in the
split is cut in a wedge shape and is
a little thicker on one side. The length
of the side cut is about one and one-half
inches. The thick side of the seion is
placed out and the line between the bark
Fig. 2. The grafted stub, showing the
position of the grafting knife hold
ing the split open while the scions
are being set
and the wood brought in as direct con
tact as possible. If the top of the scion
is pointed slightly out. the desired eon-
tact of the cambium layers will be in
sured, and the tissue unite in growth.
It is a good plan to cut the scion so a
bud will be at the point C, as shown
in Figs. 3 and 4.
-f''
Fig. 4. Scions cut for cleft or saw
kerfgrafting.
;
! j A
; " 1 - s-
during the first warm .days of spring
they can be properly planted.
Treatment of the Treat.
Just as soon as the trees are received
from the nursery they should be well
healed-in, in moist soil, even though
they are to be planted within a few
days. Do not stand the trees np in the
original bunches and throw loose earth
against them, but eut the bunches open,
spread the trees thinly in trenches ex
tending east and west that are deep
enough and wide enough to hold the
roots, and lean the tops toward the
south at an angle of about 45 degrees.
Thoroughly cover the roots, and from
six to ten inches of the stems, tramp
the earth firmly around the roots and
the trees will not suffer. In healing
in large quantities use a series of short
trenches, using the earth from one to '
cover the trees of the preceding row
and let the fops overlap, all leaning in
the same direction.
When ready to plant take the trees
as needed from the pit and never per
mit the roots to become dry, and just
before they are to be planted thor
oughly prune the roots. All the ragged
or cruised ends should be eut off with
a sharp knife, making the cnt in such
a manner that the eut surface will rest
on the bottom of the hole. Small or
fibrous roots that may have become
dry should be eut away as they will
never be of further service to the tree.
Trees with diseased roots should not be
planted bnt relegated to the brush heap
and boned,
Planting.
The hole must be deep enough to
permit the setting of the tree from
one to two inches deeper than it grew
in the nursery, in order to allow for
the settling of the soil and yet have
the trees the came depth as they stood
in the nursery. The roots should not
be bent or crowded, but allowed plenty
of room.
After placing the roots firmly on the
bottom of the hole fill in with good,
ncn, loose soil until the roots are well
covered and then tramp the soil just
as firmly as it is possible. The dryer
the soil the more firmly it -should be
packed. Trees should not be planted in
very wet, sticky soil. Fill in with the
remainder of the soil, until the hole is
almost full and then tramp again; fin
ally fill in the rest and leave the sur
face loose. In irrigated sections where
the water is handy the firming may be
done by running water into the hole
after half or two-thirds of the soil has
been loosely shoveled in.
varieties.
The following list is made up from
a large number of reeommendations by
growers in all parts of the state, based
upon the general behavior of the va
riety in that particular section, and its
color, quality and value for commercial
purposes.
Western Washington.
(Winter) Northern Spy, Olymoia.
Bhode Island Greening, Yellow New
town, Yellow Bellflower. (Autumn)
rung, uravenstein. (Summer) Yellow
Transparent, Bed June.
Inland Irrigated Valleys.
(Winter) Winesap, Yellow New
town, Jonathan, Spitzenberg, Borne
Beauty, White Winter Pearmain, Deli
cious, Winter Banana. (Autumn)
GravenBtein, King. (Summer) Yellow
Transparent, Duchess, William's Fa
vorite. Inland Uplands.
(Winter) Borne Beauty, Wagner,
Jonathan, Gano, White Winter Pear
main, York Imperial. (Autumn) King
Duchess, Gravenstein, William's Favor
ite. There are many other varieties that
can be grown in all parts of the state,
some of them equal to or even of bet
ter quality than those named, but they
are as yet unknown to the market and
for this reason are not safe to plant
commercially.
Don't breed from birds with bad de
fects nor disqualifications. They will be
repeated in the offsDrin? and nftr h
worse than in their ancestors.