114 



GRAPE CULTURE AND 



COMMON CLEFT GRAFTING. 



This is done by cutting off the stock horizontally, at some 

 smooth place below the crown or the ground. I prefer to 

 have about an inch of. smooth wood, above a node or joint in 

 the vine. The reason for this is, that the cleft of the stock 

 ought to be about an inch long, 

 and in splitting, the intervening 

 node, (or whorl of roots) will 

 prevent it from splitting farther, 

 as it will then close well around 

 the graft. Now split the stock 

 longitudinally, with a sharpknife, 

 chisel, or pruning shears.^ In 

 grafting stocks not larger than 

 an inch in diameter, I use the 

 shears for both the horizontal 

 and longitudinal cut, as on these, 

 I insert but one scion; I choose 

 the smoothest side for its inser- 

 tion, keeping the blade of the 

 shears on the side where the scion is to be inserted. (Fig. 6.) 

 This will prevent bruising of the bark. Then I prepare the 

 scion. With a sharp knife, I cut a simple wedge (Fig. 7.) 

 beginning at an eye or beed, and cutting a long sloping cut 

 toward th? middle, and a similar one on the opposite side. 

 The side of the wedge should be thickest at the eye, and 

 thinner toward the other side. Now open the cleft where you 

 wish to insert the scion, and push it down firmly until the 

 bud is even with, or just above, the upper surface of the 

 stock, taking care to fit the inner bark of the scion closely to 

 that of the stock. If the stock is large it may require a small 

 iron wedge to open it, bent to one side, (Fig. 8.) and to 

 insert two scions, one on each side. If the operation is 



FIG. 6. 



