GRAFTING. 



the two bevels of the wedge being closer together on the side 

 opposite the eye. One of the bevels must be more slanting 

 than the other, so as to avoid cutting into the pith on both 

 sides (Fig. 49) ; by doing so a continuous piece of wood is 

 left strengthening the wedge. This scion is inserted into the 

 cleft, forcing the under-bark to correspond everywhere. 

 This is the main condition of success. 

 Many operators are contented to make 

 the bark correspond outside, but as the 

 bark of old stock is thicker than that of 

 the young canes, it may happen that the 

 generative layers be parallel without 



coinciding. To avoid 



this difficulty the 



scion should be placed 



slightly oblique, so as 



to allow the inner bark 



to correspond in one 



point at least. When 



the scion is in its proper 



position the chisel is 



taken out of the cleft. 



When the stock is very 



large it is better to 



insert two scions to 



sustain proportion be- 

 tween the aerial growth 



and that of the stock Fig 51 ._ Engli8h cleft 



(Fig. 50). The chance *raft. 



of success is thus doubled, and if both scions knit the weaker 

 is removed the following winter. 



This method of grafting is generally used for old stock. 

 For young vines of smaller diameter we may ligature so as 

 to obtain sufficient pressure, or only make a cleft on one 

 side with the grafting knife (Fig. 48 b). 



(b) English Cleft Gra/t.This method (Fig. 51) is very 

 extensively applied for young rootlings, on account of its easy 

 execution and the double chance of success it offers if 

 properly performed. 



The soil is removed from the young rootling as in the 

 previous case ; it is cut level or slightly above the surface, 

 but low enough to allow the soil to be mounded round the 



Fig. 50. Cleft graft 

 with two scions. 



