238 PLANT PROPAGATION 



were dead at 10 years. Ten Walldow root-grafted trees were all 

 dead but one limb on one tree (most of the 10 died between five 

 and 10 years), but the 10 top-worked were thrifty at 20 years. In 

 an orchard of 100 root-grafted and 70 top-grafted trees 44 per 

 cent and 7.2 per cent, respectively, died. 



For propagating apple varieties with weak trunks, top grafting 

 or double working is recommended, Tolman sweet being preferred 

 as a stock because of its close, smooth bark, strong, yet not rapid 

 growth and its great longevity. [These methods are thought to 

 aid trees in resisting disease.] 



310. Top grafting, while of widest application to es- 

 tablished orchard trees, is yet of importance in nursery 

 practice. To the author it seems this method might be 

 more widely utilized by nurserymen as follows : 



311. Top grafting nursery trees. C. P. Close of Maryland 

 started summer apple trees on Northwestern Greening trees. Three 

 to six of the best placed and strong limbs were pruned to stubs 

 two to three inches long and whip grafted. All other limbs were 

 cut off. The grafts were wound with waxed cord and painted with 

 liquid grafting wax. The cion tips were also waxed. The roots 

 were pruned back to three or four inches just before grafting and 

 setting in the orchard. About 90 per cent of the grafts made good 

 unions. When one failed a shoot usually developed and was 

 budded. This method is believed to be of special use where trees 

 of desired varieties cannot be secured or are weak growers with 

 tender trunks. Prof. Close also suggests that nurserymen might 

 use it to re-graft their surplus strong, healthy trees instead of 

 burning them, or such trees could be sold at a moderate price for 

 the fruit grower to re-graft. 



In top grafting, the stock, cut usually at or above the 

 ground surface, is either treated by the cleft or the notch 

 method, one or more cions being inserted in the stub. 

 Sometimes cions are forced between bark and wood. 

 Usually the cions have only one to three buds and are 

 rarely longer than four inches. 



In orchard (less in nursery) practice unsatisfactory 

 trees are top-worked, also trees of strong growth are used 

 as bodies for poor straggling growers and those that have 

 trunk weakness (309). Thus any desired variety may be 

 worked on trees by the individual orchardist. The 

 method is of practically universal utility, because nearly 

 every fruit grower is sure to have at least some trees that 



