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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (May 14, 1914)
7 Among the Orchards of the Northwest A Page of Interesting Advice and Information About Fruits, Large and Small HOME AND FABM MAGAZINE SECTION mmnjllliKii jiip "aTaTaTaTa-ata-ataTaTaTaTai y ( Fig. 1. The saw kerf In a stab to be grafted. 4 Here is the second of two articles $ by 0. M. Morris and C. B. $ 8 Sprague, bortieulturalist and assis- J tant bortieulturalist, on the top- grafting of fruit trees. SAW kerf grafting is a method used very successfully by many or chardists. The stub is cut as for cleft grafting and saw kerf is cut down one side, as shown in Fig. 1. As many scions as are desired may be set in one stub by this method, but it is seldom advisable to set more than two. The edges of the kerf are cut smooth with a sharp knife and the scions set and blade of the leaf should be cut off as soon as the twig is cut. The stem of the leaf serves as a handle for the bud. The buds are cut by placing the edge of the knife about one-half inch below the attached left stem and with a circular motion cut np and into the wood so that at the point just beneath the bud about one-third of the diameter of the twig will be cut away. The last cut that removes the bud from the stock is made about one-half inch above the bud or even with edge of the knife, shown in Fig. 2. The stock is prepared to receive the bud by a longitudinal split about one and a half inches long with a cross-cut at the top, as shown in Fig. 3. The point of the bud is then inserted under the corners of the bark, as shown in Fig. 4, and pushed as far down the split will let it go. It is then wrapped, as shown in Fig. 5. The bind ing should be cut in a week or ten days. If the bud is still green and looks plump at the end of that time the bud has grown attached to the wood and the branch above should be cut away before growth starts the following spring. Irrigating just before the bud' ding is to be done will cause the trees to start rapid growth and the work can be done more successfully than at any other time. Budding is especially successful on the stone fruits and grafting is seldom successful; grafting is most successful on the apple and pear and budding is least successful. Bridge Grafting. Orchard trees are frequently girdled by mice and rabbits daring the winter. Careless driving in the tillage work in the orchard frequently results in marked and injured trees. In all such eases f ' f J' I il Fig. 3.. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Fig. 2. The bud ready to cut from Fig. 4. The bud Just entering the the scion wood. split in the bark on the branch being Fig. 3. The split and cross-cut in the budded. mark of the branch to be budded. Fig. 5. The budding complete, and wrapped. -the stub waxed over as in the cleft graft. Care must be exercised to see that the scions, which are cut as for a cleft graft, are fitted firmly in place. Bark Grafting. Bark grafting is a form of top graft ing that is often used with success on old trees or on largo limbs on young er trees. The branch is cut off the Bame as for cleft grafting and the edge is smoothed down with a sharp knife. The stock is not split but, the scion is pushed down between the bark and the wood. The scion is cut to a shoulder on either side with a very thin blade like center to avoid breaking the bark of the stock. Several scions may be set in one stub but the number of branches developed should usually be cut down to two after the old stub is hoaled over. It is a good plau to wrap the stub with a Btrip of waxed cloth as soon as the grafting is done. Budding. Young trees two or three years old can frequently be top-worked by bud ding in the largest limbs in midsum mer. The buds can seldom be set suc cessfully on wood more than two years old. The buds are cut from well ma tured twigs not more than one-fourth inch in diameter and twigs measuring three-sixteenths of an Inch are better. If the leaves are still on the twigs the if the wound extends only through the bark and not into (he wood and is dis covered before the wood is dried, a good dressing of wax or wet clay may protect the tissue and a new bark be formed. If the wound extends into the wood or the wood is dried, or if the bark and outer layer of the sap wood has been killed by winter injury or by disease the tree can often be saved by bridge grafting. This work can be done best in the early spring just before growth starts, but it can sometimes be done with good results during the grow ing season. If the work is well done the trees may not suffer a noticeable check in growth. The edge of the bark about the wound should be trimmed back to clean, live tissues. Twigs of last, year's growth should be used for the bridge than the width of the girdle and sharp ened at each end in thin wedge shape. The butt end of the scion is inserted under the bark below the girdle and the tip end is inserted under the bark at the upper edge of the girdle. The trunk is entirely surrounded by these scions set as described and as close together as they can be well placed. The lines of union are then waked over and bound firmly with strips of cloth. In two or three years growth, these twigs unite and make a solid and cum plete bark. Some Ideas On Tree Pruning Given More Than 75 Per Cent of Bearing Apple Trees in Northwest Have Too Dense Crops Sunlight Is Needed. $ A few hints on pruning are $ $ never amiBs. Here are some ideas $ 3 that may prove interesting to the $ fruitgrowers of the Northwest. $ S8SJ$$?3$S3S3$S3 KEEP your trees which have been set a year, well opened up by pruning to form spreading heads, giving plenty of space for sunlight and the circulation of air through the branches. More than 75 per cent of the bearing apple and Dear trees in the Coast section of the Pacific Northwest have too dense tops to produce well flavored fruit of standard size and aver age quality. An experienced apple grower's plan is to have three main branches start as low down as possible instead of a main trunk. These should start from two forks a foot or more apart, and may be al lowed to fork again at a foot and a half to two feet from the main trunk. This makes six sub-branches uoon which the entire structure of the top may be bunt. VI course short twigs may be allowed to grow out from these branches and even from the trunk. Indeed, it is advisable to encourage such growth to prevent sunburn and promote more rapid development of the trunk, also these twigs, if properly handled, will become fruit-bearing wood in tie. Don't Spare Tree. In shaping a youne tree two or four years old, the grower need not hesitate to remove one-third to half of the top, for this apparent loss will be quickly made up and alone the correct lines. The pruning referred to is to be done witn ine snears, no undesirable limbs being allowed to grow large enough to require sawing. The shaping of youne trees can he greatly simplified by summer nrnnincr. In this way the growth can be con tinually airected along the correct lines. This form of crraftin? is often to an extreme anil becomes more specta cular man practical, young trees are planted about the base of fruiting trees that have had their roots killed or severely injured. The tops of the young trees are cut away and the tops of the ironies are grafted into the trunk of the larger tree. If the work in . fully done the wood will unite and the top oi tne old tree serves as a top for the young ones and the roots of rn young tree serves as the roots for the old tree. Trees of special value may be saved for a few years by this pro cess, Dut it is not practical for orchard work. Waxes. A good trraftin? wax is verv )m. portant and should be prepared at some leisure time before the crafting ; tn be done. The, use of a wax is to ex- ciuae air ana moisture ana to keep in fections from entering the wound. All stubs should be waxed over immediately aner placing or tne scions, and re waxed whenever the wax mnirn nr cracks so .as to expose the wound. A very good wax is madn frnm pound of tallow, two pounds of beeswax (which need not be refined wax sold at drug stores), and four These materials should bn gether and while hot poured into a oucKet or tub of cold water. After the mass has hardened sufficiently to han dle with the hands, lift out and pull like taffy, until it becomes tough and turns a iignt color, then wrap in greased paper and lay away for use. Chunks of this preparation can be melted as need ed and applied with a brush. A wax which may be applied with the hands in warm weather without melting is made from one pound of tallow, one pound of beeswax, and four pounds of resin, prepared the same as for the form er wax. Another good wax that may be applied with a brush while warm is made by meltine together three nminrla of resin, one pound of beeswax and one pint or raw linseed oil. All the shoots should be nipped back three or four times during the summer. This will cause them to grow sturdy and strong enough to resist the wind. Undesirable shoots can be prevented from growing by summer pruning, and also much benefit will be derived from frequent removal of mildewed and oth erwise diseased twigs. Use of Saw Saved. By following out such a system of summer and winter pruning, the young trees may be developed to full bear ing condition without the use of the saw, thereby avoiding the woodrot trou ble and insuring profitable production for 50 to 75 years. The points to be remembered are the removal of undesirable branches before they have become too large to cut with the shears, and the pruning oat of all diseased twigs, especially those covered with mildew, moss or lichens. Pruning Methods. Pruning demonstrations were recently given at Sutherlin, Oregon, under the auspices of the Fruit Growers' Associa tions, by Professor W. S. Brown, Ex tension Horticulturist of the Agricul tural college. About 50 orchard men and farmers attended these outdoor school lessons and engaged in the prac tice of pruning under the instructions of the expert in charge. These men art among the state's most successful or chardists, giving much care to the grow ing of fruit In some instances over pruning and over-cnltivation hare been given their orchards, leading to delay ed bearing period. A demonstration in summer pruning has been arranged for at their request. TYPEWRITERS RENT a Typewriter from lbs mennfaetnreri, 5 for three months; Remington No. 6 or No. T; Smith Premier, No. 2 or No. 4; Tiilble Remington, Monarch, Smith Premier, $3 per month delivered anywhere. Rebuilt machines old on easy payments. EEM1NOTON TYPEWRITER COMPACT. 88 roadway, Portland, Oregon. Hotel Benson Oarl Stanley, Manager G. Kirke Drury, Ant Mgr. AFIBE and element proof hotel with every modern convenience and equip ment. Central location. Two beautiful dining rooms. New buffet. Sample rooms. Bates no higher than those in in ferior establishments. An to basses meet all trains. Send for beautifully illustrated booklet. PORTLAND, OBEOOK.