22 



Effective Farming 



The usual way of top- working is to cleft-graft, which method 

 is herewith described. In late fall or early winter cions of the 

 previous season's growth, bearing two or three buds, are 

 cut from trees known to be producers of good fruit of the variety 

 desired and are stored in sand or sawdust in a cool cellar where 

 they will remain dormant. The grafting is done in the spring 

 before growth starts. A branch to be grafted (usually one 

 about an inch and a half in diameter) is sawed straight across, 



care being taken not to loosen 

 the bark. The stub is split with 

 a grafting tool, as shown in Fig. 

 8, a, or with a chisel and a cion 

 cut to a wedge shape with one 

 edge thicker than the other is set 

 into the stock, as shown in Fig. 8, 

 b, with the thickest edge toward 

 the outside. This method of 

 cutting and fitting the cion holds 

 it firmly in place. In order to be 

 sure that the growing tissues are 

 in contact, it is well to set the 

 cion at a slight angle ; the cam- 



FIG. 8. -Clef ^grafting, a, splitting biums f the ci n and the st ck 



the stock; b, cion; c, cions in- must then cross at some point. 



Two cions are inserted in each 



cleft, as shown in c. After they are in place, the grafting tool is 

 removed and all the cut surfaces are covered with soft grafting 

 wax which, when it cools, hardens and forms a covering over 

 the wood. (See page 28.) Later in the season, if both cions are 

 found to be growing, the one showing less vigor is removed. 

 Only a part of a tree should be top-worked because if too many 

 branches are removed not enough foliage is left to nourish the 

 tree. The remaining branches are removed the next year or two. 



Buds. Budding is similar to grafting except that a live 

 bud instead of a cion is placed in contact with the cambium 



