262 The Fruit-Growers Guide-Book 



extremely so, on which to plant the grafts. Plow the land 

 deeply and otherwise prepare as for a garden spot. The 

 rows need not be long but should be perfectly straight. 

 To get them straight stretch a string across the plot. The 

 rows are to be four feet apart, laid off with a single shovel 

 plow. With an old hoe handle which has been sharpened 

 to a point, with a long slope, go along and punch holes 

 in the ground about eight inches or a foot apart, withdraw- 

 ing the pole carefully and with many side movements so the 

 soil will not fall in. Plant the grafts deeply. After plac- 

 ing them in the holes, see that only one or two buds of the 

 scion are left above the ground. This will make it neces- 

 sary to have the ground plowed deeply. Be sure to press 

 the soil up closely against the roots of the grafts. This is 

 best done with a dibber or short stick which is forced into 

 the soil beside the grafts and crowds the soil up against 

 them. The grafts cannot grow if air spaces are left around 

 the roots. Give the little trees good culture, including 

 two or three hoeings during the summer, and they will 

 reward their owner with a vigorous growth. 



At the end of the summer the trees will be "one-year- 

 old" trees of the nurseryman, and can be dug as soon as 

 the leaves have fallen and ready to be transplanted to the 

 orchard. If it is desired to use two-year-old trees, they 

 can be left in the nursery for another summer; 



There are special implements on the market for wrap- 

 ping the grafts, planting the grafts and digging the trees. 

 These are of great assistance in saving time and labor 

 where large quantities of trees are grown. 



Cleft Graft 



Cleft grafting can be done on any sort of fruit tree and 

 is used mostly for the purpose of working over old 

 trees which are beyond the condition in which they can 

 be worked by the ordinary whip or tongue graft. It is the 

 style of grafting that is especially useful where one has a 

 few trees that have reached the bearing age and are found 

 to be unsatisfactory either in kind or in quality of fruit. 

 It is the style of grafting that will allow one to work two 



