300 



ANNUAL REPORT 



roots. The outer edge should also be somewhat thicker than the 

 inner. 



For grafting iu the trunk of the tree it is cut or sawed off hor- 

 izontally, and if the stock is not too large, a sloping upward cut 

 is made upon one side, about an inch long, and to the center 

 (A Fig. 5). The stock is split just one side of the pith (B Fig. 5) 

 by laying a knife or chisel on the horizontal surface and striking 

 lightly with a mallet; the split is kept open with the knife or 

 chisel until the cion is inserted, with the thick side out (A 

 Fig. 6). 



Large stocks or branches are sawed off in the same manner 

 (A and B Fig. 7); the surface is then pared smooth with a knife, 

 a split is made with a chisel nearly in the center and held open 

 vith a wedge until the wedge-like cions (A Fig. 4) are inserted 

 (A B Fig. 8.) If they both grow and are afterward too close, 



y^8 



Fig. 9. 



Fig. 10. 



one of them can be cut away. The points to be observed for suc- 

 cessful grafting are: Sharp instruments, which will make 

 smooth, clean cuts; perfect contact of the inner barks of stock 

 and cion, and covering the whole cut surface and every portion 

 of thesi)lit with wax, to exclude air and water. Where convenient 

 the wax may be put on while melted with a brush, or it may be 

 put on with the hands. 



The implements required in whip grafting are: A pruning 

 knife, to trim up the roots, and a thin, sharp knife for shaping 

 the ends and cutting the tongue in cion and stock. For cleft 

 grafting, in addition to above, a sharp, fine saw and grafting 

 chisel with wedge attached, and for large trees, a step-ladder. 



Grafting composition is prepared in various ways. We gener- 



