THE MENDING OF THE APPLE-TREE 87 



should be left smooth, without splinters or hanging bark. 

 Decaying wood is to be removed, and the area cleaned 

 out and disinfected. 



The nature-lover may find much to interest him in the 

 observation of knot-holes as he comes and goes. Every 

 knot-hole has a history ; this history usually can be traced 

 by one whose eye is keen and who becomes practiced 

 in connecting cause with final result. One prides oneself 

 on the ability to work out the obscure cases. An old 

 neglected apple orchard thereby afiFords much entertain- 

 ment. 



If a very large branch breaks off, the remaining part 

 is cut back to fresh hard wood ; antiseptic is applied ; the 

 other part of the tree may be shortened-in to aid in re- 

 storing the proportion or balance. 



Deep cavities caused by rot are cleaned out, disin- 

 fected with bordeaux mixture, gas-tar, or other material, 

 and the place filled completely with cement. 



In some cases, new wood is added in the form of cions 

 of last year's twigs. Such cions may be set around the edge 

 of a stub, thrust between the bark and the wood, to start 

 new branches where an important one was broken off. 

 The cions are cut wedge-shape (much as those in Fig. 18) 

 and a bandage is tied around the stub to hold them in 

 place; the exposed parts are covered with grafting-wax. 

 The operation is performed in spring. 



Sometimes cions are used to bridge a girdle. Usually 

 a girdle heals itself if the injury does not extend into the 

 wood, and if it is bound up to prevent drying out; but 

 when the injury is deep and the exposed wood has be- 

 come dry and hard, the cions may be used. The cions are 

 somewhat longer than the width of the girdle. The edges 



