PROPAGATING APPLE-TREES. 



33 



cieft-grafiiug. 



like Fig. 8, when the end of the stock 



is shaved smoothly, so that one can 



readily see the point of union between 



the bark and the wood. The blade of 



the grafting-knife, shown below (Fig. 



12), is then driven into the stock, 5, 



to split it, as represented. After the 



stock is split, the chisel, or wedge of 



the knife, is driven in the middle of the 



cleft, to hold it open while the cions, a, 



are being set. The blade of Fig. 12 



should be about six inches long, be- 



sides the handle. The heavy part, 



which constitutes the head of the chis- 



el, should be about three eighths of an inch square, and the 



chisel should extend about one inch below the shoulder. 



The chisel at the base should be one-eighth of an inch thick, 



which will be sufficiently thick to open any cleft, except for 



a very large stock. This combined tool will be found more 



convenient than to have the chisel at the end of the knife, 



as it will maintain the balance with less difficulty. The 



blade should be one- 

 eighth of an inch 

 thick on the back. 

 A wire hook is pro- 

 vided in the handle 

 for suspending the 

 tool from a branch 



Fiff. 12. 



Grafting-knife and chisel. 



when a person is grafting the top of a large tree. The ci- 

 ons, a, are dressed off true, like a long wedge, and inserted 

 so that the point of union between the bark and wood, on 

 both the stock and cions, will exactly coincide. A sharp 

 knife should be employed for making cions, and the ends 

 should not be dressed too blunt nor too slim to fit the cleft. 



