46 THE AMERICAN APPLE ORCHARD 



DOUBLE- WORKING 



At this point a few words ought to be given to the 

 interesting practice of double-working trees. The 

 fruit grower following this plan plants trees of some 

 healthy, clean-growing variety, but not the variety 

 from which he hopes to gather fruit. When these 

 trees have reached a suitable size they are topworked 

 to the variety which the orchardist really wants to 

 grow. 



This second working is usually done by the cleft- 

 graft process, but some men prefer budding upon the 

 smaller branches. 



The age at which the trees are reworked may 

 vary. Some growers top-graft the first or second 

 year after planting two-year-old nursery trees in their 

 places in the orchard. The entire top is removed and 

 two scions take its place. Other growers prefer to 

 wait till the stock-variety has formed its principal 

 crotches and then work upon the main limbs. The 

 former method is the more expeditious ; the latter se- 

 cures the advantage of better crotches for weak- 

 growing varieties or for those, like King, which are 

 subject to canker in the crotches. 



It is sometimes claimed that this method brings 

 trees into bearing earlier, but it is hard to see how 

 this happens, for it is certain that double-working 

 may delay the time at which trees come into bearing. 



Double-working has certain definite and obvious 

 advantages in growing tender, badly formed varie- 

 ties, or those much subject to defects of tree. Such 

 sorts as Canada Red, Tompkins King and Esopus 

 Spitzenberg, may properly be handled in this manner. 

 A good, strong trunk and frame can be formed by 



