CARE OF TOP-WORKED TREES 



■275 



As top-working is based on processes of graftage, 

 and as such is fully discussed in the author's book, Plant 

 Propagation, Greenhouse and Nursery Practice, it need 

 only be mentioned here that "Cleft grafting , . . finds 

 its chief use in amateur practice to work over seedling 

 and unsatisfactory trees to desired varieties. Everyone 

 should know how to 

 perform it, because 

 there is no telling when 

 it may become use- 

 ful."* Usually the 

 whole top is changed 

 over to the desired va- 

 riety by grafting or 

 budding all of the prin- 

 cipal limbs — preferably 

 in their smaller 

 branches if the frame 

 limbs are large — so as 

 to maintain or perhaps 

 improve upon the origi- 

 nal form of the tree. 

 Better results are gen- 

 erally secured in this 

 way than by cutting of 

 the trunk or frame 

 limbs. When this lat- 

 ter is done, there is 

 danger of ugly and dan- 

 gerous Y crotches. An- 

 other advantage in us- 

 ing the smaller branches (say }i inch up to 2 inches for 

 cleft grafting, and smaller than ^4 in'^h for most other 

 methods) is that the new growths from the cions are not 

 so likely to be broken bv wind, ice or snow as when the 



FIG. 235— NEW GROWTH ON TOP-WORKED 

 APPLE, HEADED BACK AND THINNED 

 AFTER ONE SEASON'S DEVELOPMENT. 



* Ibid. Page 239. 



