370 



THE CLEFT GRAFT. 



THE METHODS OF GRAFTING. 



1. The cleft graft. This is the most common 

 method of grafting old trees. It consists in sawing 

 oif the limb at the point where it is desirable to in- 

 sert the scions. It is then smoothed 

 with the knife. A clean cleft is 

 made with a sharp knife and a 

 mallet. The scion is cut. If the 

 wood is of good growth, one con- 

 taining two or three buds is enough. 

 The scion is next pared down in 

 the form of a wedge, one eye being 

 on the part forming the wedge, as 

 at (rt) in the cut No. 2, which, when 

 inserted, is placed outside, as in (h) 

 of figure 1. The outer side of the 

 wedge is left wider than the inside, 

 as the grasp is then firmer. In set- 

 ting the scion, no regard should be 

 paid to having the outer surface of 

 the bark of the scion and the stock even; for as the 

 latter is much older and thicker than the former, 

 such a proceeding would prevent the junction of the 

 inner bark, through which the sap flows in its 

 downward course, and by means of which the two 

 are joined. Great care should therefore be used to 

 have the inner bark of both meet. A peg should 

 be used to keep the cleft open while the scions are 



Fig. 2. 



