THE ORCHARD. (By S.J.)

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1277, 4 September 1880, Page 2

THE ORCHARD. (By S.J.)

As most of # the peach trees in this district have been considerably affected by blight, and are in appearance very unsightly, a very good plan to adopt is to cut them down to about a foot of the ground and they will then shoot out good strong wood, which, with proper attention, can be trained into good trees. Another plan to adopt with some of them would be to graft with plums, which can be done at once, and from experience lean say they grow a finer plum, and a greater quantity as a rule. Another advantage is they come sooner to maturity than a younger tree ; again, you are sure of the blighted tree stump doing something. The following would be the best way to graft them :—lt: — It is called cleft grafting. This is a species of grafting adopted in the cases where the stock is large, or when it consists of a branch or branches of a tree headed down. In either of these

cases, saw off horizontally the part yoli want to graft, and smooth the wood over with a sharp loiig-bladed knife. Prepare the scion (which is the slip of last year's wood of the plum) at about an inch and a half from the bottom, cut it in the form of the blade of a razor, that is, make it sharp on one side and let it be blunt at the back ; care should be taken to- let the bark remain whole. Having thus prepared the scion, 'make a split in the^ crown of the saw cut, downwards, for about two inches, taking care that the two sides of this split be perfectly even. Hold it then open by means of a chisel or wedge, or, when the stock is but a small one, use a knife. Insert the scion, the sharp edge going inwards, and the bark side, or razor-back, remaining outward, so that, in taking out the wedge or chisel, the cleft closes firmly upon the scion, the two edges of bark formed by the cleft fitting exactly upon the two edges of bark formed by the blunt razor-back. To make the .two barks meet precisely is, as will be seen, the only nicety in the operation ; but this is so essential tliat the slightest deviation wiil defeat the purpose. In this sort of grafting, the stock grafted is generally strong enough to hold the scion close enough within its cleft, without the aid of binding, and then it is better not to bind. But, as it is also necessary to prevent air circulating within the wounded parts of botli the stock and the scion, use grafting clay to cover them over so as effectually to exclude it, and cover the clay with a piece of coarse canvas, wetting it first, and then binding it securely. In this way, the stock being strong, you may insert several scions on the same head, by making several different clefts, and putting one scion into each ; but this can only be to ensure your having two to succeed, for, if all the scions that you can put upon one head take, you must choose the two most eligible and sacrifice the rest, as more than two leading limbs from such head ought not to be encouraged. In reference to grafting clay, the object is to put something round the wounded part of the stock and the scion that shall exclude Avater and air, and it is necessary that the application should be strongly adhesive. Pure clay fulfils this condition, if you beat it well with a stick, pouring a little water to make it work, Get it in this way to be perfectly ductible in the hand. After it is placed around the graft, sprinkle a little wood ashes over the whole to dry it, and prevent it cracking from the heat of the .sun. Something now remains to be said on the future treatment of the grafted plant. In a month's time, at least, you Avill see whether the scions have taken ; it will then be either burstng forth into leaf, or it will be dead. In this latter case, take off canvass, -claj , -banilttgo, : ».arir~ dead scion, and let the stock push forth what roots it please, and recover itself. In the former case, however, you must as soon as the scion is putting forth shoots, cut off or rub off all shoots proceeding from the stock between the ground and the clay, as these, if suffered to push on, would divert the sap from the scion, and probably starve it.