If they are allowed to flourish, they may
prevent the scion from growing. When working over a tree several inches
in diameter, it becomes an art to keep the tree stock satisfied, yet to
encourage the growth of the scions. In large trees, a few sprouts must
grow to nourish the root system, but this is not necessary if the stock
is one inch, or less, in diameter.
Chapter 17
GRAFTING TAPE VERSUS RAFFIA
It is necessary that a person who is grafting trees and developing
hybrids experiment not only with the plants he is interested in, but
also with the equipment and materials he uses. For more than twelve
years, I used raffia to tie the grafts I made, becoming more annoyed and
irritated with its limitations each year. Finally, I began trying other
materials, until I found one which I think is very satisfactory. This is
a rubberized grafting tape.
At my nursery, we make our own tape. We buy pure rubber gum, known as
Lotol NC-356, from the Naugatuck Chemical Company, at a cost of $7.50
for five gallons, F.O.B. their factory. With this, we use unbleached
muslin of an 80 x 80 mesh, or finer. As the muslin is usually a yard
wide, we fold it and take it to a printing firm, where, for a small
charge, it is cut into both one-half and three-quarter inch strips by
being fed through a paper-cutting machine.
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