HOME FRUIT GROWER 



stock. Next wind narrow strips of 

 cotton cloth firmly around the stock so 

 as to close the wound but not cover 

 the bud itself. 



In a week to two weeks examine 

 the bud. If it has shrivelled it has 

 failed to "take"; if it is plump it has 

 made a union. In either case the bind- 

 ing must be cut so growth will not 

 strangle either the bud or the branch 

 being operated upon. In the North 

 the bud will remain without perceptible 

 change till Spring. In the South it 

 should begin to develop a shoot be- 

 fore Midsummer. After growth has 

 started the old top of the stock may 

 or may not be cut depending upon 

 whether or not it is wanted to bear fruit. 



Fig. 57. Buds sprouting on graft. The 



other scion grew but it was accidentally 



broken off 



Fig. 56. Waxing cleft grafts 



In cleft grafting a branch, 

 preferably not smaller than 

 half an inch in diameter nor 

 larger than two inches, is 

 squarely sawed off so as to 

 leave a stub six or more inches 

 long (Fig. 54). A grafting 

 chisel or a knife is then used to 

 make a cut across the center. 

 In this cut a wedge is driven 

 to force the edges of the cut 

 far enough apart to insert the 

 scions (Fig. 55). Scions must 

 be of well-ripened, dormant 

 twigs of the previous season's 

 growth and of the desired 

 variety. Several may be made 

 from one switch. The lower 

 end must be cut with a keen 

 knife so as to form a long 

 thin wedge, preferably slightly 

 thicker on one side than the 

 other. One of these scions is 

 placed at each outside end of 

 the cut in the stock at a very'- 



