North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Kieran and Donna" <redherring@tnaccess.com>]

Actually, the traditional material for root grafts was cotton string.   I
have an old book on plant propagation from the late 40's I think, with all
the "latest" equipment, and they talk about a gadget that held the string
while you turned the grafted root round and round.
    I'm a little bit concerned about the discussion so far.  Unlike plums or
cherries, I have never seen a peach throw up a seedling from a severed root.
Unlike apples,  I have never read anything about digging peach roots to
graft on.  This is not to say it won't work, but I'd try to hedge my bets by
doing some grafts on plum seedlings.  I'd say plum sprouts, but they are so
prone to being virus infected here in the south that seedlings would be
better.  You can tell the difference because the seedling roots go vertical,
the sprouts from an older tree are on horizontal roots.  If you save the
stock, then you can bud onto peach seedlings in months and years to come.
You know, it's possible to order peach or plum rootstocks.  I doubt you
could get any now unless you can find someone local who's been digging and
potting their seedlings.  But there ought to be someone with a plum tree
who'd let you dig some seedlings in the brush nearby.  Seedlings from
compost piles are even better.    Donna