NUT CULTURE BUDDING AND GRAFTING. 



15 



examined, and if the twine is found to begin to cut into the stocks it is untied and 

 tied over again ; this will prevent further injury. The object of allowing the twine to 

 remain a longer time is to prevent the cut bark from warping open by the action of 

 the atmosphere, thus causing the graft to die." If grafting fails, annular budding 

 may be resorted to. In that case the vigorous new shoots that push out below the 

 attempted graft should be selected and the operation be performed in summer as in 

 ordinary annular budding. 



CLEFT SAP GRAFTING. 



In top-working the walnut in California Felix Gillet states that common cleft- 

 grafting does not succeed, but that cleft sap grafting succeeds. (Fig. 2, d-/ 3 .) If done 

 early in the spring when the sap is commencing to flow it can be used on limbs as 

 large as 3 inches in diameter. The stock is sawed off and smoothed as for ordinary 

 cleft- grafting. Instead of making a single cleft through the center, two are made, 

 one across the stub at each side of the center (fig. 2, d e, d e), the clefts thus being in 



Flo. 2. Cleft sap grafting. 



sapwood instead of through the heartwood and pith. The scion is prepared as for 

 ordinary cleft-grafting, except that the sloping cuts are so made that but one scarf 

 exposes the pith (fig. 2, f l , f 2 , f 3 ). The figure, which is adapted from Mr. Gillet's 

 illustration, is self-explanatory. After the insertion of the scions the cut surfaces 

 are thoroughly waxed and the stock is well bound with cotton cloth to prevent it from 

 opening and drying out. 



CROWN GRAFTING. 



This has been found to be the most successful plan for grafting most nut-bearing 

 trees. It can be done by either the "whip," "cleft sap," or "veneer" methods, on 

 seedlings from one-half inch to 4 inches in diameter, either in the nursery row or 

 the orchard. 



After removing the earth to the depth of 3 or 4 inches from about the base, the 

 tree should be smoothly cut off about 2 inches below the ground line, or just above 

 where the swelling of the root begins. On small trees, such as are less than 1 inch 

 in diameter, either whip or veneer grafting is commonly practiced. On larger trees 

 the cleft sap method (Fig. 2) is best. In all cases the stocks should be bound 

 with waxed cloth or other tying material after the scions are inserted. Waxing 



