52 
Citrus and Tropical Fruit Culture 
All such can be top-worked to profitable varieties 
at less expense and a new top grown in much 
shorter time than would be necessary to grow a 
new tree to bearing age. 
The strong vigorous root system of the older tree 
causes the grafts to make a remarkable growth and 
in two or three years the new top will be almost as 
large as the original tree. 
Top-worked avocado tree 18 months from budding. 
Top working by grafting gives more satisfactory 
results than budding and if the instructions here 
given are followed out carefully there should be 
no difficulty in getting a good stand of grafts. 
The selection of the scions is most important. 
They should be hard, well matured wood cut from 
what is known as "second growth," with plump 
well formed buds but not too far advanced. The 
scions should be from ^ to ^ inches in diameter, 
depending on the size of the limbs to be grafted. 
The months of February, March and April are the 
best for grafting the Avocado. 
The limbs to be grafted should be selected with 
a view of forming a well balanced head, so that 
when the remainder of the top is cut away the grafts 
will make a shapely tree. Select three to four such 
limbs evenly distributed and saw them off from two 
to four feet from the main trunk, depending on the 
size of the tree. If the limbs are large it is best to 
first cut them off a foot or more beyond where the 
grafts are to be inserted to avoid splitting and then 
resaw them at the desired location. This last cut 
should be made squarely across and at right angles 
to the limb. Smooth the surface of the cut with a 
knife and with a cleaver placed across the middle, 
split the stump far enough down so that the pres- 
sure will not be too great on the grafts. After re- 
moving the cleaver insert a wedge, made of some 
hard wood, in the center of the split and drive it in 
so that the grafts can be inserted without bruising. 
In selecting the scions or grafts use the smaller 
scions for small limbs and the larger ones for the 
large limbs. The length of the scion is not impor- 
tant excepting that there should be at least two or 
three good buds beyond where it is inserted in the 
limb. Cut the lower end so as to form a wedge of 
about one inch in length. Extreme care should be 
used in cutting the wedge so that the sides will be 
perfectly smooth and fit perfectly. Insert one scion 
on each side of the split in the stump, remove the 
hard wood wedge carefully so that the scions are 
slightly pinched but easily moveable and then adjust 
them so that the outer edge of the scion comes in 
contact with the cambium layer or inner bark of the 
stump. This is important in all grafting opera- 
tions, unless such contact is made the scion can not 
unite. After the scions are carefully adjusted re- 
move the wedge completely and wrap the stump 
with waxed cloth from the surface down as far as 
~the split shows on the sides. With a paint brush 
apply a good coating of hot grafting wax to the sur- 
face of the stump and over the waxed cloth, being 
sure that all parts are covered so as to exclude the 
air. On large stumps where the split between the 
scions is quite wide it is advisable to fill it with 
paper or cloth before applying the wax to prevent it 
from running off, also between the outer edge of the 
scion and the waxed cloth there may be an opening 
due to the difference in the thickness of the bark on 
the scion and that of the stump and this should be 
carefully filled with wax. The end of the scion 
should be sealed with either wax or paint to prevent 
its drying out. 
After the grafting is complete wrap newspaper 
around the stumps so that it will extend out over 
the scions and protect them from the sun but not so 
as to interfere with their growth. Wherever possi- 
ble leave one or two limbs on each stump to keep up 
the flow of sap and also one or two of main limbs 
where it is not necessary to cut them all off for 
grafting. These limbs should be left until the grafts 
have made considerable growth. The trunk and all 
exposed limbs should be well whitewashed to pre- 
vent sunburn. 
After the grafts start to grow they should be 
carefully watched and where necessary supported to 
prevent their being broken by the wind. On ac- 
count of their rapid growth they are quite apt to 
make more top than the union can support the first 
year and as a result the graft breaks out of the stump 
if not supported. This can be overcome somewhat 
if the growth is kept topped back and each graft is 
made to properly branch and thicken up as it grows. 
