154 Fruit-growing in Arid Regions 



brittle, and that on account of excessive splitting, cleft- 

 grafting is more difficult. This has led to the introduction 

 of a new method locally known as kerf -grafting. 



Cleft-grafting. The operation of cleft-grafting is very 

 simple. The limb to be grafted is sawed off squarely, 

 leaving a smooth, solid stump. The stub is split down 

 about two inches with a grafting-chisel or knife. The 

 chisel is removed and the cleft is wedged open with the 

 wedge on the back of the knife, or a wedge provided for the 

 purpose. The cion should be cut to contain three buds 

 and should be of strong, well-matured wood of the previous 

 season's growth. The lower end is then trimmed to a 

 wedge, leaving the first bud a little below the top of the 

 wedge, and cutting the edge of the wedge opposite the bud 

 a little thinner than the other. The cion is then set firmly 

 into place with the lower bud to the outside and a little 

 below the top of the cleft, being sure to bring the inner bark 

 on the outer edge of the wedge in contact with the inner bark 

 on the stub. This is the important step in grafting, as it is 

 between these parts that the union takes place. Some- 

 times the inexperienced grafter makes the mistake of set- 

 ting the cion flush with the outer edge of the stock. On 

 large stubs with thick bark it would almost be impossible 

 to set a cion more illy matched than in this way. Some 

 persons advocate setting the cion on a slant, the point of 

 the wedge toward the center of the stub. This insures a 

 contact of the cambium layers where they cross and is a 

 good suggestion, since a point of contact is sufficient for 

 a good union. 



With a cion properly set in each edge of the cleft 

 provided the stub is large enough the wedge is re- 



