EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



443 



be made by any local blacksmith from an old file and will be found 

 more serviceable than the other forms now on the market. The im- 

 portant characteristics of this tool are the heavy curved blade shai'pened 

 on the inner side and the wedge on the end placed well away from the 

 back of the blade. In using this tool, the curved blade prevents the 

 unnecessary loosening of the bark in making the cleft and therefore, is 

 better than one with a straight blade. The stub is split with this tool 

 just enough to accommodate the scions. The cleft is then held open 

 with the small wedge and two trimmed scions are placed in the cleft 

 as seen in Fig. 2b. Each scion should contain about three buds and 

 the lower end of the scion should be trimmed with a sharp knife to a 

 wedge about 1 to II/2 inches long with the outer edge of the wedge 

 thicker than the other (Fig. 2a.). It is very important that the sides 



Fig. 1. 

 CLEFT GRAFTING. — Making tlie cleft with grafting tool and mallet. 



of this wedge be cut perfectly even. As the union of the scion and 

 stock takes place at the cambium layer or inner bark, it is also im- 

 portant in making the graft, to have the inner bark of the scion in 

 contact with the inner bark of the stock. Hence the scion is left a 

 little thicker on the outside edge to insure the pressure of the stock 

 against the scion at this point. (Fig. 2c.) Frequently the scion is 

 tipped slightly outward that the cambium layers may be in contact at 

 least at one point. In preparing the scion, it is also advisable to trim 

 it in such a manner as to have a bud just above the wedge on the 

 thicker side, so that when it is placed in the stock, it will appear just 

 above the cleft on the outside. After the scions are trimmed and placed 

 in the stock, the wedged end of the grafting tool may be released from 

 the cleft and the graft is then ready to wax. Pulling the Avax out 

 into wide ribbons, the sides of the cleft are first covered and then the 

 entire upper surface of the stub is carefully covered, being especially 



