CALIFORNIA OLIVE CULTURE GRAFTING AND BUDDING. 39 



GRAFTING THE OLIVE. 



Cleft Graft. Large limbs are cut horizontally and split 

 from side to side to insert the cions. The common practice 

 has been to split the limb down the center, but of late it has 

 been found that the grafts take better when the cleft is made to 

 one side. When limbs split too far, it leaves the grafts in a 

 loosened condition above. 



The method has been improved upon by making the cleft to 

 one side, or on both sides, of the central pith of the limb, as 

 shown in the accompanying cut. In this method the grafts 

 are held more firmly than in the former. It has the advan- 

 tage also that more than two grafts can be inserted in the 

 limb. This is quite important, because when a greater number 

 are inserted with the same amount of labor, the chances for 



Cleft grafts inserted in the center Cleft grafts inserted on both sides 



of a large limb, ready to be tied of the central pith of the limb, 



and waxed. 



success are better, and insures a more uniform growth of 

 grafts. After the grafts have put forth growth all are removed 

 except one, the strongest, which now assumes the functions of 

 the top. 



Branches of medium size are cut off obliquely, when with a 

 steady hand a vertical cleft is made, the slit being nearly one 

 third less in length than that of the wedge or cion. The cion 

 is next inserted from the top, the cleft being extended with 

 the knife until the wedge of the cion is wholly inserted. It is 

 then bound with strips of cloth, or tied with heavy budding 

 twine, and waxed over. The cleft throughout the whole 

 diameter of the stock is made with a chisel specially made for 

 grafting. When the cleft is two-thirds open the chisel is 



