78 FARM AND SCHOOL PROBLEMS. 



be worked until it becomes tough. In handling, grease hands with 

 tallow. 



Directions. Select an apple tree that is barren or produces 

 inferior apples. Saw off the limbs where they are from one-half 

 inch to one and one-half inches in diameter. The diameter of 

 limbs will vary in a large tree. The limbs should be cut off in 

 grafting so that the top may present a symmetrical appearance. 

 They should not be cut too near the stem. 



Make a cleft by splitting the end of the limb to be grafted. 

 Cut the cion so that the cut surface will fit into the cleft of the 

 stalk. Insert the cion on the side, or if two cions are to be used, 

 place one on each side of the cleft. Be sure that the cambium 

 layer of the outside of the cion comes in contact with the cambium 

 layer of the stalk. To make the contact more certain, place the 

 cions at a slight angle. 



Cover every portion of the wounds with grafting wax. 



Try grafting a tree with a great variety of apples. Have 

 among the varieties on the same tree harvest, fall and winter 

 apples. 



TOP GRAFTING OF SEEDLINGS. 



The process is the same as that employed in grafting old 

 trees except that seedlings may be used for the stock by sawing 

 off the stem one or two feet above the ground. One cion is in- 

 serted and left to grow upward forming the upper part of the 

 stem from which the branches are to grow. Small seedlings one 

 or two years old may be grafted by whip, or tongue grafting. 



ROOT GRAFTING. 



Root grafting is the method employed in the commercial nur- 

 series. The root grafts -can be made during the winter. The 

 process used almost exclusively in the production of young nur- 

 sery stock is the whip graft. The work of root grafting is di- 

 vided up into piece-root grafts and whole-root grafts. In ordi- 

 nary propagation by means of whip grafts, the cion is cut with 

 two or three buds, and the whole root stock (which is the best) 

 should be united with the cion so that the point of union shall 

 be just below the surface of the ground. 



