Top-working Fruit Trees 155 



moved. This allows the cleft to tighten on the cions, the 

 greater thickness of the outer edge of the wedge-shaped 

 portion of the cions insuring greater pressure at this point. 

 With the removal of the wedge, the cleft should hold the 

 cions firmly in place. Wax should now be applied to all 

 cut surfaces, even to the tips of the cions. Special pains 

 should be taken to see that the stub is well covered be- 

 tween the cions as well as the cleft as far as it extends down 

 on the sides of the stub. This prevents drying out; and 

 it is important that it be thoroughly done. 



Kerf -grafting. This system of grafting differs little from 

 inlaying. The stub is prepared as for cleft-grafting, but, 

 instead of splitting, saw cuts are made on opposite edges 

 of the stub and trimmed to thin, V-shaped grooves with a 

 saddler's knife. The cion is then trimmed to fit, driven 

 firmly into place, and waxed as in cleft-grafting. With 

 a little practice, the cions may be set as firmly as in cleft- 

 grafting. It is contended that this method has the advan- 

 tage in speed and that the cions are not as easily blown out 

 in early summer. Cions are lost by both methods, and if 

 properly performed, one is probably as good as the other. 

 The kerf has the advantage that more cions may be set in 

 large stubs and thus hasten the process of healing. The 

 same care must be used in setting the cion to insure a 

 union. The latter system seems to be especially adapted 

 to working with stone-fruits, in which splitting is even 

 more noticeable than in the apple and pear. 



Sharp tools that give a smooth-cut surface are essential 

 in all grafting work. 



Bark-grafting. Some orchardmen advocate a method 

 known as bark-grafting. In this case, the stub is cut as 



