GRAFTING AND BUDDING. 19 



inward. This inequality in size of stock and graft is 

 often unavoidable, especially in grafting old trees. In 

 grafting young on old, allowance must be made for the 

 greater thickness and roughness of the outer bark on 

 the old tree, as compared with the : younger bark on the 

 graft. 



Crown or wedge-grafting is sometimes used for -fruit 

 trees. The graft is shaped into a wedge of rather a 

 sharp angle, with two equal slanting cuts, a cleft to 

 correspond is cut in the stock, and the graft fixed as 

 in whip-grafting. If stock and graft do not agree in 

 size, bark must fit to bark on one side. Vines are 

 grafted in this manner. In their case, some growing 

 portion must be left on the stock above the graft, to 

 draw up the sap and prevent bleeding. 



Cleft-grafting is a kind of crown-grafting which is 

 often found convenient for stocks of large size, for if 

 they are an inch or more in diameter, whip-grafting will 

 not do well in their case. Cut or saw off the head of 

 the stock, pare the bottom of the graft into a wedge 

 an inch and a half long, make a cleft in the stock, with 

 a strong knife or cutting chisel, about two inches deep, 

 leaving the chisel in to keep it open. Insert the graft, 

 adjusting the thin end of the wedge in the bottom of 

 the cleft, with bark to bark . remove the chisel, and 

 the cleft will hold the graft firm. Tie it and cover it 

 with clay. If the stock be large enough, a second graft 

 may be inserted at the other end of the cleft, opposite 

 the first ; and I have known three or four different sorts 

 of apples grafted on an apple tree several years old, 

 which did not bear, and all do well. 



Saddle-grafting is like crown-grafting reversed : the 

 stock is shaped into a wedge, the cleft is made in the 

 graft, which is placed over the wedge, like a saddle. As 

 in all grafting, bark and bark must meet, at any rate on 

 one side, and the tying is the same. 



A peculiar kind of saddle-grafting is practised in the 

 apple-growing counties, sometimes even in the middle 

 of summer. The stock is larger than the graft, which 

 is slit up about four inches, one-third from one side. 



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