to winds will cause the metal to wear
through. Two wires prevent this action indefinitely. Since a small wire
cuts through a zinc tag in one or two years, heavy wire must be used.
Wire such as I have indicated is satisfactory. I print the necessary
information on each tag with a small, steel awl, and such labels are
still legible after twenty-five years. Copper, brass or aluminum would
also make good tags, but these metals are more expensive. Of course,
these tags may be used for small trees as well as grafts and scionwood
and it is always well to do a good job of labeling all work, since many
errors may result from disregard to this important detail.

In the north, the time to graft nut trees is when the cambium layer of
the host, or stock, is active, which is usually during the entire month
of May. This cambium layer consists of those cells lying just inside of
the outer bark, between it and the woody part of the tree. When these
cells are active, the inner side of the bark feels slippery and a
jelly-like substance can be scraped from it. Although this is the state
in which the stock should be for grafting, the condition of the scions
should be almost the opposite, rather dry and showing no signs of
cambium activity. The bark should cling firmly to the woody part of the
scions, whereas the bark of the stock should slip off readily. Another
good and fairly satisfactory rule is never to graft the stocks of nut
trees until after the young leaves appear.

In grafting young nursery trees not more than an inch in diameter, the
whole tree is cut off at any distance from the ground convenient to the
nurseryman. Sometimes they are cut within a few inches of the ground,
sometimes two or three feet. In my work, I like to keep the scions as
high above the ground as I can. When the top of a stock is cut off,
there is a great deal of sap pressure and the tree bleeds. It is a poor
policy to attempt grafting while this is happening. Rather, one should
cut the tops off, then wait for several days before inserting any
grafts. Tools must be kept very sharp. A good grafting knife is
sharpened on one side only, so that the blade is flat along the side
which lies next to the cut made on the scion when it is trimmed. If
unaccustomed to handling a knife, one can obtain more accurate results
by using a small plane. I do this by holding the scion firmly in my
right hand and pulling it toward me, against the cutting edge of the
plane which is