APPLES 



127 



cut down if not too old. or regardless of 

 age (if large enough), its branches may 

 be sawed off and the desired variety of 

 apple inserted upon the stump or stumps. 

 More people will have occasion to use the 

 cleft graft than the first method described. 



Cleft grafting is sometimes employed 

 on other trees besides the apple. This 

 method is also sometimes called top 

 grafting. As many varieties as there are 

 branches to work them upon may be top 

 grafted upon a single tree. In fact, there 

 is no reason why summer, fall and win- 

 ter apples may not be grown on the same 

 branch or adjacent branches. It is a mat- 

 ter of great curiosity to see apples of 

 different colors and sizes growing upon 

 the same tree, but such a mixture would 

 be of little practical value, as there would 

 not be enough of any one kind of fruit to 

 amount to much. New varieties may be 

 hurried into bearing by being worked 

 upon the branches of an old tree. Weep- 

 ing forms of trees like the mulberry, 

 ash, elm and others, are often top-worked 

 upon upright growers by cleft grafting. 



It will be necessary to collect the scions 

 for cleft grafting early in the winter 

 before freezing weather, and store them 

 in the manner described under the dis- 

 cussion of whip grafting. The work of 

 cleft grafting is done in late winter or 

 early spring. Top grafting of apple trees 

 is more successful if done before growth 

 starts, but where only a few trees are to 

 be worked the operation may be delayed 

 until after the leaf buds are just begin- 

 ning to open. Regardless of when the 

 grafting is done, the scions must be per- 

 fectly dormant. To do the work saw off 

 the branch if as much as an inch in 

 diameter or even the body of the tree, 

 if it is not more than three or four inches 

 thick, and split the stump down the 

 center towards one side with a knife 

 or hatchet. The scion, which is the same 

 kind of wood described for other scions, 

 should be only four or five inches long. 

 The lower end is whittled on both sides 

 to a wedge shape. Where many trees 

 are top worked, the safest way to set 

 the scions is to lean them inward (or 

 outward) so that the growing layer of 

 both scion and stock are sure to be in 



contact at the point where they cross. 

 In making the wedge the slopes must be 

 long and uniform — care being taken to 

 whittle the same amount of wood from 

 each side. Sometimes the branch or 

 trunk, if as much as three or four inches 

 in diameter, is split through the center 

 in two directions, thus making room for 

 four scions. Instead of splitting the 

 trunk or branch through the center many 

 people now prefer to make the cleft to- 

 ward one side so that the split part in- 

 volves only the outer part of the sap 

 wood. Such a method would not cause 

 such a large wound, and on this account 

 it is now preferred by many good propa- 

 gators. 



As explained, the slope on the scion 

 must be long and uniform. Pry open the 

 cleft in the trunk or branch to be grafted 

 and carefully insert the scion so the 

 bark of one side will be exactly in con- 

 tact with the inner part of the growing 

 part of the bark of the stock on that side. 

 This is extremely important, for here 

 is the place where they are to grow to- 

 gether, and they cannot do so unless the 

 inner bark of one piece is exactly in line 

 with the inner bark of the other. If the 

 old branch or trunk of the tree is large 

 enough, that is, thick enough, it is ad- 

 visable to use two scions, one at either 

 side of the cleft, as this will double the 

 chances of success. The same principle 

 is followed where four scions are used. 



If the grafted stump be as much as 

 three inches thick a wedge for the pur- 

 pose should be made of pine, or almost 

 any other wood, and driven down in the 

 center of the cleft, just far enough to 

 relieve the great pressure which would 

 otherwise be exerted on the scions, but 

 yet not far enough to cause them to be 

 loose. After being driven down to the 

 proper point the wedge may be broken 

 off even with the top of the stump. 



When the scions and wedge are in place 

 it will be necessary to cover all cuts and 

 cut surfaces with hot grafting wax. The 

 wax may be melted in a tin pan at the 

 house and carried to the orchard if not 

 too far away. It is best to prepare a 

 small wooden paddle with which to dip 

 up the molten wax and spread it over 



