156 



MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



GRAFTING, CONTINUED. 



J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. 



Last month we treated of whip-grafting as practiced in the propa- 

 gation of nursery trees by root-grafting on yearling seedling 

 stocks. It is at the same time the simplest and best of all methods 

 of topgrafting young orchard trees in the branches or the trunks 

 where the place for inserting the graft is less than one-half inch in 

 diameter. 



For grafting in the top of small trees, select a branch of suitable size 

 and cut it off at the point where it appears best to fix the graft (a,fig. 1); 



then, with a sharp, thin knife, make 

 a diagonal cut beginning from an 

 inch to an inch and a half below 

 according to size of stock and scion 

 and extending to the end (b, fig. 1); 

 next make a slit in this cut extend- 

 ing from the center downward one- 

 half an inch or more (c, fig. 1). Cut 

 the scion (fig. 2) so as to have 

 about three buds; then shape the 

 lower end with a smooth, sloping 

 cut about the same length as on 

 the stock, and cut a tongue (f, fig. 2> 

 upward so that it will fit in the 

 downward slit (c, fig. 1) of stock. 

 Now put the scion and stock to- 

 gether, interlocking the tongues 

 (d, fig. 1) and pressing them firmly together, making the inner bark 

 of the scion and stock exactly fit, at least on one side. Next care- 

 fully wind about them some cotton or woolen yarn to hold them in 

 place, and cover the place of union with grafting wax (g, fig. 1) or, 

 if they are wrapped with a narrow 

 strip of waxed cloth, as with root- 

 grafts, the tying with yarn will not 

 be necessary. The operation is done 

 exactly the same whether done on 

 the trunk of a small tree or on the 

 limbs of a large one, as shown in 

 figs. 7, 8 and 9. For this climate, the 

 trees operated on should be of un- 

 doubted hardiness and in thrifty con- 

 dition. 



ffg-l 



m-^ 



r^'^,? 



CLEFT-GRAFTING. 



Cleft-grafting is as easy but a more 

 clumsy method than whip, or tongue, 

 grafting, but the cut end of the stock never knits with the center 

 part of the wood above and literally remains dead wood. The union 

 of the two takes place in the inner bark, and, although subsequent 

 growth spreads out and covers the wound, the union is compara- 

 tively weak, and decay is liable to begin before it is accomplished; 

 hence, in this climate this method should not be practiced, except 

 on trees or branches that have become too large for working by the 

 other method. 



