APPLES 127 
cut down if not too old, o1 1egardless of 
age (if laige enough), its branches may 
be sawed off and the desired variety of 
apple inseited upon the stump or stumps 
Moe people will have occasion to use the 
cleft graft than the first metho l described 
Clett grafting is sometimes employed 
on othe: tiees besides the apple This 
method is also sometimes called top 
grafting AS many varieties as there are 
pranches to work them upon may be top 
grafted upon a Single tree. In fact, there 
is no reason why summet, fall and win- 
ter apples may not be grown on the same 
pranch or adjacent bianches It is a mat- 
ter of great curiosity to see apples of 
different colors and sizes growing upon 
the same tree, but such a mixture would 
be of little practical value, as there would 
not be enough of any one kind of fruit to 
amount to much New varieties may be 
hurried into bearing by being worked 
upon the branches of an old tree. Weep- 
ing forms of trees like the mulberry, 
ash, elm and others, are often top-worked 
upon upright growers by cleft grafting. 
It will be necessary to collect the scions 
for cleft grafting early in the winter 
before freezing weather, and store them 
in the manner described under the dis- 
cussion of whip grafting. The work of 
cleft grafting is done in late winter or 
early spring. Top grafting of apple trees 
is more successful if done before growth 
starts, but where only a few trees are to 
be worked the operation may be delayed 
until after the leaf buds are just begin- 
ning to open. Regardless of when the 
grafting is done, the scions must be per- 
fectly dormant. To do the work saw off 
the branch if as much as an inch in 
diameter or even the body of the tree, 
if it is not more than three or four inches 
thick, and split the stump down the 
center towards one side with a knife 
or hatchet. The scion, which is the same 
kind of wood described for other scions, 
should be only four or five inches long. 
The lower end is whittled on both sides 
to a wedge shape. Where many trees 
are top worked, the safest way to set 
the scions is to lean them inward (or 
outward) so that the growing layer of 
both scion and stock are sure to be in 
contact at the point where they cross. 
In making the wedge the slopes must be 
long and unito1m—care being taken to 
whittle the same amount of wood from 
each side Sometimes the branch or 
trunk, if as much as three or four inches 
in diameter, 1s split thiough the center 
in two directions, thus making 100m for 
four scions Instead of splitting the 
trunk or branch through the center many 
people now prefer to make the cleft to- 
ward one side so that the split part in- 
volves only the outer part of the sap 
wood Such a method would not cause 
such a large wound, and on this account 
it is now preferred by many good propa- 
gators. 
As explained, the slope on the scion 
must be long and uniform. Pry open the 
cleft in the trunk or branch to be grafted 
and carefully insert the scion so the 
bark of one side will be exactly in con- 
tact with the inner part of the growing 
part of the bark of the stock on that side. 
This is extremely important, for here 
is the place where they are to grow to- 
gether, and they cannot do so unless the 
inner bark of one piece is exactly in line 
with the inner bark of the other If the 
old branch or trunk of the tree is large 
enough, that is, thick enough, it is ad- 
visable to use two scions, one at either 
Side of the cleft, as this will double the 
chances of success. The same principle 
is followed where four scions are used. 
If the grafted stump be as much as 
three inches thick a wedge for the pur- 
pose should be made of pine, or almost 
any other wood, and driven down in the 
center,of the cleft, just far enough to 
relieve the great pressure which would 
otherwise be exerted on the scions, but 
yet not far enough to cause them to be 
loose. After being driven down to the 
proper point the wedge may be broken 
off even with the top of the stump. 
When the scions and wedge are in place 
it will be necessary to cover all cuts and 
cut surfaces with hot grafting wax. The 
wax may be melted in a tin pan at the 
house and carried to the orchard if not 
too far away. It is best to prepare a 
small wooden paddle with which to dip 
up the molten wax and spread it over 
