218 



Principles of Plant Culture. 



Cleft-grafting is most used in top-grafting old trees. 

 Four to six of the main branches, located as nearly eqi- 

 distant as possible (Fig. 116), are selected for grafting, 

 and it is desirable to graft these rather near to the top of 

 the trunk. 



Branches exceeding three inches in diameter should 

 not, as a rule, be grafted. About half of the top of the 

 tree should be cut awaj' just before the grafting, leaving 

 some branches to utilize a part of the sap. The more or 

 less horizontal branches should generally be selected for 

 grafting, and in these, the cleft 

 should be made horizontally, to 

 give the two cious inserted an equal 



Fig. 116. Branches of tree 

 to be top-grafted, as seen 

 from above, showing where 

 to insert the cions to make a 

 ■well-formed head, i. e., at the 

 dotted lines. 



Fig. 117. Cleft-graft in trunk 

 of old grape vine. The cions are 

 usually Inserted below the sur- 

 face of the ground in grafting 

 the grape, and no wax is used 

 (After Bailey). 



If both the cions in a branch 



opportunity for growth 



grow, the weaker one should be pruned off later. As 



growth starts, shoots from the stock must be rubbed off 



(390). 



The spring following the top-grafting, all or a part of 

 the branches left on the stock at grafting should be 

 pruned off to encourage growth of the grafts. If the 

 tree is large and of a vigorous variety, it is wise to leave 

 a part of these branches until the second spring. 



