Mr. Reed: Ordinary apple storage, thirty-two to thirty-eight, or freezing. This spring we grafted between the first and tenth of May; some of the trees were in full leaf. The sap was flowing very readily and they bled very freely, although the ones that had been cut back early would not bleed like the ones you cut when you are ready to graft. In grafting we used the wedge graft, splitting straight down and placing three or four scions on each limb three or four inches in diameter. However the method we like the best is the slip bark method, but we have had fairly good results with both methods. Of the trees we grafted this spring 60 to 75 per cent were grafted from cold storage scions. We used some that had not been in cold storage, and we didn't get them to grow. We wax the grafts thoroughly and cover them with paper sacks. We do not use any tying on the large limbs as we don't find it necessary. However, we have done more budding than grafting in top working large trees and I think it is a little surer, but we have been fairly successful with both. For budding we cut them back the same as if we were going to graft. We let the sprouts grow until about the middle of July or first or middle of August, and we have let them go as late as the first of September. Then they are ready for budding. We follow about the same method as has been demonstrated. In working large trees it is very important that you keep all cuts waxed thoroughly with grafting wax.
Mr. McCoy: Have you had this experience, that English walnuts will produce female blooms before they do the male blooms?
Mr. Reed: We haven't had them long enough to determine that clearly. We have eight trees and four of them produced pistillate blooms and we had to bring pollen to pollenize them.
Mr. McCoy: It is possible to have your sprouts almost where you want them by taking the sharp end of an old file and dressing the bark carefully. The buds are more apt to come there than anywhere.
Mr. Reed: We sometimes lose a good many shoots from storms. One tree was budded about three weeks ago and that storm about ten days ago broke every one of them.
Mr. Pomeroy: What time did you say to bud the black walnut?
Mr. Reed: About the first of August, from the middle of July to the middle of August, as a rule. We are budding some yet. That depends on the wood; do it when the wood is ripe enough. We are holding back on some now to get the wood ripe enough, and as fast as they get ripe enough we bud them. You can bud them late if you cut them back freely in the spring, smooth with the ground. Then your buds will take much more rapidly because you have the sap.
Mr. McCoy: Have you had the best success when you cut your trees back in the pruning season? In slip bark grafting there are two ways, you know. One is to wait until you are ready to graft and then cut back. Which do you think is the best?
Mr. Reed: In top working the large trees we had the best success cutting back early, that is in the nursery. We have never cut back any at the time we were ready to do the work.
Mr. Mccoy: In other words you head off the sap flow?