EXERCISE 44 (Continued) 



between leaf-fall in autumn and resumption of growth in spring. 

 The best practice is to cut them before the first freeze in autumn 

 and store them in green sawdust in the cellar until they are 

 wanted. They must not be allowed to become dry. The scions 

 should be cut from healthy twigs with firm, well-matured wood. 

 The twigs should not be less than five or six inches long. 



Cleft grafting is done in the spring before growth starts. 

 Saw off a branch which is one or two inches in diameter and 

 split the stub down the center with a strong knife. Prepare 

 the scion by cutting it down to four or five inches in length 

 and whittling the lower end to a wedge shape. The wedge 

 should be at least one inch long, tapered evenly on both sides, 

 and smoothly cut. 



With a knife or chisel pry open the cleft which has been 

 made in the stub and insert the wedge-shaped end of the scion, 

 placing it so that the bark of one side of the scion will be in 

 contact with the inner bark of the stub (stock). Remove the 

 chisel and allow the cleft to close upon the scion and hold it 

 in position. Melt some wax and daub it over the cut surfaces, 

 sealing them from the air completely. 



If the stub of the stock has a diameter greater than two 

 inches, it may be advisable to set two scions, in which case the 

 weaker one should be cut out a year later. 



Examine grafts a year or more old and note how growth 

 from the scion has occurred and how healing of the wound has 

 proceeded. Why is it necessary to set the scion exactly in the 

 position directed above ? Why not set it in the center of the 

 stub ? Make several grafts with the scion in a variety of 

 positions and note results. 



NOTE. Top grafting by the method described above may be employed 

 with many trees 9ther than the apple. It is entirely practicable to graft a 

 large number of varieties of apple upon a single stock, thus producing results 

 that are very curious and interesting, though not commercially important. 



References 



BERGEN and CALDWELL. Practical Botany, pp. 87-89. 

 BERGEN and CALDWELL. Introduction to Botany, pp. 91-93. 



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