56 



BUDDING AND GRAFTING 



These may then be inserted in the spring after growth has started, 

 or a little before that. Care must be used to prune away competing 

 branches and allow the new graft to have room, light and air for 

 growth. After the new grafts are well established more pruning 

 away of the old sort may be done. 



Budding of Old Trees. — Many orchardists find much difficulty 

 in top grafting old trees. The stocks and scions may fail to grow 

 uniformly in size or the union may be incomplete, particularly in 

 the heart wood. The result of an incomplete union may cause 

 them to break during wind storms. For these reasons budding is 



Fig. 38. 



Fig. 38. — Cleft grafting. Scions are cut beveled both ways as shown at the left, bo as to 

 fit closely at the cambrium and inner bark. The tool or cleaver shown is used to split the 

 stock. Grafting wax is used to protect all the wounds as shown at the light. 



Fig. 39. — When trees are girdled by mice, rabbits, or farm implements, they are sometimes 

 saved by bridge grafting. Two stages of the process are here shown. 



quite commonly practiced in top working of orchards whether the 

 trees be young or old. When a shield bud is inserted on the side of 

 the stock, the uneveness of growth will make no perceptible dif- 

 ference. As little or no wood is present under the bark, there will 

 be no weakness to cause trouble in the future. 



There is one serious difficulty, however, in top working orchard 

 trees by the budding method. A single bud is inserted in each place 

 and much more work is required to insert a sufficient number of 

 buds than by the cleft-grafting or tongue-grafting methods. 



Top budding of orchard trees may be practiced with practically 

 all kinds of orchard fruits. The work may be done at any time 



