GRAFTING 101 



The cions are cut wedge-shape at the base and are 

 inserted into the cleft made in the stub. The cions bear 

 from two to four buds, but the number usually preferred 

 by most grafters is three. The cions are cut by two draws 

 of the knife, and one side should be slightly narrower than 

 the other. This double wedge aids in holding the cion more 

 securely in the stub. The narrow side of the cion should 

 face toward the center of the stock. To insert the cions 

 in the stub, first spread apart the two halves of the stub 

 by means of the wedge on the grafting chisel. In placing 

 the cions in the stock, the utmost care must be exercised to 

 see that the inner bark of the cion and the stock come in 

 contact with each other, so that the cambium layers of the 

 two parts are together. The matching of the cambium layer 

 of the cion and the stock is made more certain if the cions 

 are slanted outward at a slight angle. The cions should 

 be forced into the cleft to the first bud and sometimes deeper. 

 The wedge should be made from one to one and one-half 

 inches in length, and fit snugly into the cleft. 



After the cions are placed in the stub and properly 

 adjusted, the cut surfaces should be covered with grafting 

 wax. The wax should extend over the stub for a quarter 

 of an inch. Fill the split along each side of the stub with 

 wax in order to prevent infection of any kind entering the 

 stub. The bark graft is similar to that of the cleft graft, 

 except the cions are placed between the bark and the wood. 

 Bark grafting is used on larger limbs than cleft grafting. 



Bridge Graft. — The bridge graft is considered a form of 

 bark grafting. Bridge grafting is not used as much as its 

 value would warrant. The purpose of the bridge graft 

 differs somewhat from that of the other forms of grafting 

 already enumerated. The bridge graft has for its chief 

 purpose the preservation of a tree, rather than the propaga- 

 tion of it. The principal use of the bridge graft is to preserve 

 and to save trees which have been either girdled by rodents, 

 such as mice or rabbits, or to repair trees that have been 

 injured by cultivating implements. To use this graft the 

 injured portion of the tree must first be cleaned out. All 

 of the ragged edges must be made smooth. The bruised 



