How TO Set Grafts. — The season for grafting may be said to be
from the first of April to June, the time when the forces of nature
are impelling the upward flow of sap in the tree. " Grafts have been
set the last day of May with as much success as at any other time.
When understood — and it ought to be an easy thing to learn — any
one can do his own grafting. Yet due care must be taken in all
the details to insure growing.
"Stocks or limbs to be grafted, not over two inches in diameter,
should be cut off at the distance of four inches. A fine saw should
be used. Incline the saw so that the stump will shed the rain. The
bark must be uninjured. With a sharp knife smooth off the sawed
stump. Take a case-knife, which is as good as any, place it
across the heart of the stock, and force it down with a wooden mal-
let. Use a very narrow screw-driver for keeping open the split.
Shape the scion wedge-fashion both ways, keeping the bark intact.
Make a shoulder as far up as the scion is shaved; it is not so
strong, but better insures growth. The inside of the bark of both
scion and stock must meet or cross, in order that the sap of the two
may commingle. Set the scion at a slight angle spreading from each
other. When the stock is small and only one scion inserted, place a
28o THE hearthstone; or, life at home.
piece of wood on the opposite side of corresponding thickness. If
the sHt does not close up sufficiently, tie round a cotton string to
keep it tight upon the graft. Cover with wax every part of the cut
wood and sHt. In three weeks' time go over the grafts and rewax if
needed. It is air and rain getting in that destroy. Where the limb
to be grafted is from two to four inches over, it should be cut say six
inches from the tree, and from four to six scions may be inserted.
The cause of buds blasting may be attributed to several reasons.
One is allowing the plant to get too dry, both at the roots and the fo-
liage, from want of sprinkling. A still more common cause is the
escape of coal gas from the stove. This gas from coal-stoves also
causes the leaves to drop, and often leads to still greater damage.
The entire contents of a large greenhouse have been destroyed
because of the fact that the flue used in heating the building in some
way cracked in the night-time, and, as coal was burned in the furnace,
the deadly coal gas killed everything.
In order to rid house plants of small, white worms, gardeners take
a fine flour sieve and sift the dirt well before putting in the pots for
the plants.
Page 182
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
How TO Set Grafts. — The season for grafting may be said to be from the first of April to June, the time when the forces of nature are impelling the upward flow of sap in the tree. " Grafts have been set the last day of May with as much success as at any other time. When understood — and it ought to be an easy thing to learn — any one can do his own grafting. Yet due care must be taken in all the details to insure growing.
"Stocks or limbs to be grafted, not over two inches in diameter, should be cut off at the distance of four inches. A fine saw should be used. Incline the saw so that the stump will shed the rain. The bark must be uninjured. With a sharp knife smooth off the sawed stump. Take a case-knife, which is as good as any, place it across the heart of the stock, and force it down with a wooden mallet. Use a very narrow screw-driver for keeping open the split. Shape the scion wedge-fashion both ways, keeping the bark intact. Make a shoulder as far up as the scion is shaved; it is not so strong, but better insures growth. The inside of the bark of both scion and stock must meet or cross, in order that the sap of the two may commingle. Set the scion at a slight angle spreading from each other. When the stock is small and only one scion inserted, place a
28o THE hearthstone; or, life at home.
piece of wood on the opposite side of corresponding thickness. If the slit does not close up sufficiently, tie round a cotton string to keep it tight upon the graft. Cover with wax every part of the cut wood and slit. In three weeks' time go over the grafts and rewax if needed. It is air and rain getting in that destroy. Where the limb to be grafted is from two to four inches over, it should be cut say six inches from the tree, and from four to six scions may be inserted.
The cause of buds blasting may be attributed to several reasons. One is allowing the plant to get too dry, both at the roots and the foliage, from want of sprinkling. A still more common cause is the escape of coal gas from the stove. This gas from coal-stoves also causes the leaves to drop, and often leads to still greater damage.
The entire contents of a large greenhouse have been destroyed because of the fact that the flue used in heating the building in some way cracked in the night-time, and, as coal was burned in the furnace, the deadly coal gas killed everything.
In order to rid house plants of small, white worms, gardeners take a fine flour sieve and sift the dirt well before putting in the pots for the plants.