128 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTLRE 



and around the scions in such a manner 

 as to entirely exclude the air, and thus 

 keep them from drying out until they 

 unite with the old wood. This wax 

 should never be disturbed afterward, as 

 it will not injure the tree. If more than 

 one scion grows, by all means cut them 

 off. If two scions are allowed to stand, 

 a forked tree will be formed, which is 

 always to be avoided. 



Old apple trees may be top worked to 

 other varieties and entirely renewed by 

 means of cleft grafting. If trees are 10 

 to 20 years old, all of the branches can- 

 not be cut off and grafted at once. Per- 

 haps four-fifths of the branches may be 

 top worked to the desired variety in one 

 season, and the remainder the next sea- 



Fis. 7. A llandv Tool for L'se in Splittins 

 Limbs for Cleft Grafts. The wedge sbanod 

 point is used for holding the cleft apart while 

 inserting the grafts. 



son. In old trees the growth which re- 

 sults from the newly inserted grafts 

 seems to require some protection from 

 sun and wind. A few old branches are 

 left for this purpose. Furthermore, the 

 old branches are necessary, as the tree 

 will be in need of more foliage than the 

 grafts could supply in early summer to 

 carry on the necessary vital activities 

 which it is the duty of leaves to per- 

 form. The chief duty of such leaves, in 

 fact, is to feed the roots. 



In top working vigorous growing trees 

 of from three to five years' growth in 

 the orchard, the trunk is often cut off 

 a foot or so from the ground and cleft 

 grafted. The one scion that is permitted 

 to grow pushes upward so rapidly as a 

 result of the pressure of the large root 

 system of the tree, that it is in very great 



danger of being blown oft during the sum- 

 mer. In such cases it is nearly always 

 necessary to drive down a stake to which 

 the little top of the tree may be bound 

 for greater security. 



Another form of cleft grafting which 

 is coming into general use in the West 

 and Northwest is somewhat similar to 

 the cleft graft that has been described, 

 except that the stock is not split at all. 

 Instead, a sharp saw is used to cut a 

 notch upon one side of the several points 

 around the edge of the stump. By saw- 

 ing straight into the wood the notch 

 will be sufficiently wide to admit the 

 scion if the saw teeth have a wide set. 



In preparing the scion this will have 

 to be whittled to a somewhat different 

 shape, but in the main the same princi- 

 ples will have to be observed as with 

 the other method. Be sure that it fits 

 the notch. Lean the scion inward and 

 force down so that it reaches below the 

 notch. This will make it certain that the 

 bark lines cross. Finally cover all cut 

 surfaces with hot grafting wax. 



In all forms of cleft graftage, but par- 

 ticularly those which employ the split- 

 ting of the old wood, it should be remem- 

 bered that the growth which heals the 

 wound will take place from the scion and 

 gradually spread through the end of the 

 branch or trunk that has been cut off. 

 The old wood is absolutely incapable of 

 growth, and hence is liable to become 

 infected with disease germs unless kept 

 protected until the new wood can cover 

 it over completely. If there is a break 

 in the wax the sap, which is under strong 

 pressure from the roots, will ooze out and 

 become sour, because it has been attacked 

 by certain germs which set up a fermen- 

 tation. These same germs, and also 

 others, may find their way beneath the 

 wax and the central part of the tree 

 thus becomes affected, and even though 

 the wound may eventually heal, the tree 

 will decay from the interior. This is very 

 likely to cause a hollow tree, which might 

 break down tmder the first heavy load 

 of fruit. 



Grafting Wax 



There are more than a dozen recipes 

 or formulas for making grafting wax. 



