406 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Pond: What kind of a tool do you use with which to 

 split the graft? 



Mr. Underwood : We use a circular knife. Have it made 

 so the outside edges come over the split, the outside rather than 

 the inside. On the knife there is a little wedge that is in- 

 serted to open up the split, which we pry open, and the 

 grait is put in. I should think it would be too difficult to do the 

 work that Mr. Elliot described. I am not saying this is not a 

 splendid method of making a graft grow, but it is certainly not 

 easier to do than by the old method. 



Mr. Elliott : In case one of those grafts does not grow, how 

 does it heal over on the other side? 



Mr. Underwood : The process of healing goes on just the 

 same, but it does not heal as rapidly. 



Mr. Elliot : In this kind of work it heals over right away. 



Mr. Underwood : If your scions are in proper condition and 

 your work is done well there is no necessity for failure, but if you 

 have got poor scions and your work is done poorly there might 

 be less injury to that stub by doing the work in the new way, but 

 after it is sawed ofif it does not amount to anything anyway. If 

 your graft does not grow, the only thing you can do is to cut off 

 the stub and graft it again. 



That brings up another principle of top-working: it is, how 

 to graft a tree. It is a science to saw a tree properly for graft- 

 ing. We always aim to leave one-third of the wood on the tree 

 and take off two-thirds where we want to graft a tree entirely and 

 secure a good growth of the grafts. There are some limbs that 

 we leave and others we take off entirely. That is our aim in top- 

 grafting an orchard tree, that is, a tree we want to transform 

 from a seedling to a better variety. 



Mr. Tiegland : How soon do you take off the other limbs 

 that are left? 



Mr. Underwood : The next year. If you have good scions 

 you will get almost a perfect top the first year, and you can use 

 your judgment about cutting off all the limbs. If there is not 

 plenty of top you can leave a few of the limbs, and then later you 

 can take them off, but if there is a good top you can take them all 

 off. 



Mr. Taylor: Do you let both scions grow? 



Mr. Underwood : I would let both grow until they have 

 made a strong growth and the cut has healed over, and then later 

 you can saw out one. 



Mr. Taylor: You don't break it off? 



Mr. Underwood : Saw it or cut it off, make a good cut. 



Mr. Tiegland : At what season do you cut them off ? 



Mr. Underwood : From early spring to June. That feature 

 is not so particular, it just depends upon the condition of the 

 wound. 



Mr. C. F. Gardner : The next season ? 



