GRAFTAGE 



GRAFTAGE 



663 



ceous grafting, in which the cion is taken from green or 

 growing wood. 



It is customary to classify grafting in respect to the 

 way in which the union is made. There are three 

 general types in common use in this country: 

 cleft-grafting, whip-grafting, veneer-grafting. 



Cleft-grafting consists in splitting the stock 

 and inserting a wedge-shape cion into the cleft. 

 It is employed only in rather large stocks, prefer- 

 ably in those which are an inch or more 

 in diameter. The stock is cut off. and it 

 is split with a knife made for the pur- 

 pose. The cleft is then held open by 

 a wedge and the cions are inserted in 

 the side of the cleft in such position 

 that the cambiums of the stock and 

 cion are in contact (Fig. 936). The whole surface 

 is then securely waxed in order to prevent evapo- 

 ration and to protect the wounds from the sun 

 (Fig. 937). Cleft- grafting is performed in early 

 spring. The cions are taken some time previously 

 from the last year's shoots. They are stored in the 

 cellar or other cool place in order that they may 

 be perfectly dormant. It is customary to cut them 

 of three buds' length ; but if the shoot is very 

 long-jointed and if the variety is new or rare, and 

 the wood therefore scarce, they may be made of 

 one or two buds. The wedge-shaped part should 

 be somewhat thicker on the outside in order that 

 it may be clasped tightly in the cleft (Fig. 938). 

 It is customary to have one bud near the top of 

 the wedge. Although this bud is covered with 

 wax, it is the most likely to grow, since it is nearest 

 the source of food supply and is less injured by ex- 

 ternal conditions. It pushes through 

 the wax. It is customary to insert 

 two cions in all stocks, even though 

 only one branch is desired. By in- 

 serting two cions, the chances of 

 success are doubled, and the wounds 

 heal better if a twig grows on each 

 side. After a year or two, one of 

 the cions may be cut off if desired. 

 There are many kinds of grafting- 

 wax, but the one which is most 

 serviceable for applying with the 

 hands in the open air is made by melting 

 together one' pound (by weight) of ren- 

 dered tallow, two parts of beeswax and 



941. 



Vhip- 



zraft. 



942. Root-graft with 

 long cion (X 



The union is at D. 



943. Tree grown from a long-cion root-graft. 



four parts of resin. The melted liquid is poured into a 

 pail or tub of water, when it immediately hardens. It is 

 then pulled until it is light-colored and develops a grain. 



It is then put away for future use, and will keep indefi- 

 nitely. When used, the warmth of the hands will cause 

 it to soften. The hands should be greased to prevent it 

 from sticking. 



Cleft-grafting is the method usually employed in the 

 top-grafting of fruit trees, as apples, pears, plums and 

 cherries. Old peach trees are rarely changed over to a 

 new variety. If they are, budding is employed, as al- 

 ready suggested: the limbs are headed back so that new 



944. Grafting knife (X 



wood is secured in which the buds may be set. It is im- 

 portant, in all top- working of fruit trees, to keep down 

 the suckers which spring up around the cion, and which 

 sometimes completely choke it. In changing over the 

 top of a fruit tree, all the leading branches should be 

 grafted (Fig. 939). It is well to stand at some distance 

 from the tree and make a mental picture of how the 

 tree will look when the new top is secured: the grafts 

 should be set in approximately a radius from the center 

 of the tree. It is rare that the stock should be larger 

 than two inches in diameter where the cions are set. On 

 some of the main branches it will be necessary to graft 

 side branches lower down in order to fill the top and to 

 afford footholds to pickers and pruners. It will require 

 from three to four years to change over the tree to a 

 new variety. Each year a little more of the original top 

 is removed, and the cions take more and more of the 

 space. 



Bark-grafting (Fig. 940) is a most excellent method 

 of grafting fairly large limbs, since it does not injure 

 the stock so much as the cleft-graft. The cions are cut 

 thin and inserted between the bark and wood. The bark 

 is securely bound to hold it tight, and the entire surface 

 is waxed, as in cleft-grafting. This method is called 

 crown-grafting by the French and English. 



Whip-grafting is employed in the nursery and on very 

 small stocks. It is not used in top-grafting except now 

 and then on small limbs. The pictures sufficiently illus- 

 trate how the work is done. 

 The cion and stock should 

 be of approximately equal 

 size. Each is cut off in a 

 slanting direction, and a 

 split or tongue is made near 

 the middle. The same shape 

 is given to cion and stock 

 (Figs. 941,942). The object 

 of the tongue is to hold the 

 parts together securely ; it 

 also presents more contact. 

 The cion is then bound to 

 the stock, preferably by 

 means of waxed cord. If the 

 graft is above ground, the 

 wounds should be thorough- 

 ly waxed over the string. If 

 the graft is below ground, 

 the tie will be all that is 

 necessary: the moist earth 

 packed around the wound 

 will prevent evaporation and 

 protect it. 



The chief use of the whip- 

 graft is in root - grafting, 

 which is employed chiefly 

 on apples and mostly at the 



West. In the East, other things being equal, budded ap- 

 ple trees are preferable to root-grafted trees. In the 

 West, however, it is necessary to have apple trees on 

 roots of known hardiness. The seedling stocks are not 

 of known hardiness, even though the seeds have come 

 from the hardiest varieties. It is therefore customary 

 to use cions 6 to 12 in. long, grafted onto pieces of roots 

 2M-4 in. long (Fig. 942). The graft is set so deep that 

 only the top bud of the cion projects above the surface. 

 The piece of root acts as a nurse, and roots may start from 

 the cion itself ( Fig. 943) . When the tree is transferred to- 



945. Veneer-grafting. 



