GRAFTAGE. 



122. Hoit's grafter. 



handle of the knife. It is important that the wedge stand 

 well away from the curved blade in the knife shown in 

 Fig. 120, else it cannot be 

 driven into the stub. In the 

 picture, it is too close to the 

 blade. In Fig. 121 made 

 from the style of 

 knife most com- 

 monly seen in the 

 market the wedge is too short for 

 most efficient service. 



There are various devices for 

 facilitating the operation of cleft- 

 grafting, but none of them have become generally popu- 

 lar. One of the best is Hoit's device (Fig. 122), which 

 cuts a slot into the side of the stub. The machine is heM 

 in place by a trigger or clamp working in 

 notches on the under side of the frame. 

 The upper handle is then thrown over to 

 the right, forcing the knife into the stub. 

 This is a Californian device. A very 

 good grafting-knife for small stocks or 

 trees in nursery row is shown in Fig. 

 123. This is the Thomas knife. The 

 larger arm is made entirely of wood. 

 At its upper end is a grooved portion, 

 into which the blade closes. This blade 

 can be made from the blade of a steel 

 case-knife, and it should be about 2j^ 

 inches long. It is secured to an iron 

 handle. The essential feature of this 

 implement is the draw cut, which is 

 secured by setting the blades and the 

 pivot in just the position shown in the 

 figure. The stock is cut off by the 

 shears, and the cleft is then made by 



Thomas' grafting- 

 knife. 



turning the shears up and making a 



