twenty-eight and one-half bushels of choice apples from a single tree that was seventy.five years Id, and which Yefore only produced infe rior fruit. J. J. Thomas recommends to give a well-shaped head to such newly formed trees, and to prevent the branches from shooting upward in a close body near the center of the tree, that the old horizontal boughs should be allowed to extend to a distance in each direction, while the upright ones should be lopped. The same writer also advises, instead of cutting off large branches and grafting them at once, it is better to prune the top in part which will cause au emission of vigorous shoots. These are then either budded, or grafted. And as the grafts gradually extend by growth, the remainder of the top may, by successive excisions, be removed. The illustrations we give will show the series of operations in grafting in its various stages: a is a stick of buds ready for working; b, section of graft pared; c, stock cleft and wedged open -with wooden wedge; d, same, with graft inserted; stock with graft set on each side; f, CYOSS section of stock and graft showing exact meeting of inner bark, a most essential qualification. Grafting in tbe nursery is, or should he, either done at or near the collar of the stock, or it is performed in-doors upon the roots or sections of root,s of young stocks. The latter rnay be first described, as it constitutes the nnost extensive means of multiplying fruit trees. It is a sort of macbinery, with division of labor, and appli ances, that enable the operators to turn out immense numbers. Machinery has indeed been applied to the business; we have grafting appa ratus to facilitate the work. The Minkler machine consists of a frame or gauge which regulates the angle of the slope, which is cut with a broad chisel that reduces the roots and scions to a condition for putting then) together ; by its use an immense number of grafts can he cut, and another hand binds them together with the waxed thread, without any tie. Mr. Rohey's machine consists of a cotnplicated shears to cut the slope and tongue at one operation, preparing the pieces for whip grafting. Mr. S. S. Jack son, of Cincinnati, has also invented an appa ratus for this purpose, which proves to be very useful. In root grafting the methods of per forming the operation vary somewhat, but all agree in the object to be attained: the co-apta tion of the scion with a piece of root. Some grafters use only the upper portion of the root, thinking the miginal collar of the seedling stock the only point at which the most perfect and successful union between the aUrial and terres trial portions of trees should or can be effected —theoretically this may be very well, but the practice constantly pursued, in myriads of cases, abundantly proves that the grafting need not be restricted to this part, and that a perfect union may be effected at any point of the root, and that this may even be inverted. The common
practice has been to take two or more cuts from the root, when of sufficient size and length. For root grafting, thrifty stocks are wanted of one or two years' growth, the smoother and straighter the roots, the better. These should he taken up from the seed-bed in the fall, selected, tied in bundles, and stored in the cellar or cave, or buried in the soil where they shall he accessible at any time, and where they will be kept fresh and plump. The roots and scions having been pre pared and under shelter, the work of grafting may proceed at any time during the winter. 'I he stocks, if not clean, should be w-ashed, and one hand trims off the side rootlets. The grafter cuts a hundred scions of the appropriate length, which he puts into a shallow box on the table; he takes up a stock, cuts the slope near the collar, and a dextrous hand will at the same time make the slop ing cut to receive the first graft and also the tong,ue, if that style of grafting is to be done, as is usually practiced. He then picks up a scion, from a lot which himself or another hand has already pre pared with a slope and tongue, and adapts it to the root, the tongue keeping the two together; a portion of the root is then cut off with the graft, and the process is repeated upon the next section. Two or three or more grafts, are thus made from one seedling root ; the length of the sections vary from two to four inches, according to the fancy of the operator, or of his employer. Some per sons recommend a long scion with a short loot and others prefer to reverse those terms. The whole root graft should not be more than six or seven inches long. When any given number of scions are fitted to the roots, a boy completes the process of grafting, by applying melted wax with a brush, in which case they are dropped into water to harden the wax, or they are -wrapped with waxed strips of muslin or paper, or, better still, they are tied with waxed thread. No. 3 cotton yarn is drawn through a pan of melted wax, and wound upon a reel place,d at the otber side of the room, so that the wax may harden, This makes a convenient tie; the graft being held in the left hand, the thread is quieldy and easily wound.