128 
and around the scions in such a manner 
as to entirely exclude the air, and thus 
keep them from drying out until they 
unite with the old wood. This wax 
should never be disturbed afterward, as 
it will not injure the tree. If more than 
one scion grows, by all means cut them 
off. If two scions are allowed to stand, 
2 forked tree will be formed, which is 
always to be avoided. 
Old apple trees may be top worked to 
other varieties and entirely renewed by 
means of cleft grafting. If trees are 10 
to 20 years old, all of the branches can- 
not be cut off and grafted at once. Per- 
haps four-fifths of the branches may be 
top worked to the desired variety in one 
season, and the remainder the next sea- 
~ 
Fig. 1 A Wandy Tool for Use in Splitting 
Limbs for Cleft Grafts The wedge shaped 
point is used for holding the cleft apart while 
inserting the grafts. 
son. In old trees the growth which re- 
sults from the newly inserted grafts 
seems to require some protection from 
sun and wind. A few old branches are 
left for this purpose. Furthermore, the 
old branches are necessary, as the tree 
will be in need of more foliage than the 
grafts could supply in early summer to 
carry on the necessary vital activities 
which it is the duty of leaves to per- 
form. The chief duty of such leaves, in 
fact, is to feed the roots. 
In top working vigorous growing trees 
of from three to five years’ growth in 
the orchard, the trunk is often cut off 
a foot or so from the ground and cleft 
grafted. The one scion that is permitted 
to grow pushes upward so rapidly as a 
result of the pressure of the large root 
system of the tree, that it is in very great 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
danger of being blown off during the sum. 
mer. In such cases it is nearly always 
necessary to drive down a stake to which 
the little top of the tree may be bounq 
for greater security. 
Another form of cleft grafting which 
is coming into general use in the West 
and Northwest is somewhat simular io 
the cleft graft that has been described, 
except that the stock is not split at all. 
Instead, a sharp saw is used to cut a 
notch upon one side of the several points 
around the edge of the stump. By say- 
ing straight into the wood the notch 
will be sufficiently wide to admit the 
scion if the saw teeth have a wide set 
In preparing the scion this will have 
to be whittled to a somewhat different 
shape, but in the main the same prince. 
ples will have to be observed as with 
the other method. Be sure that it fits 
the notch. Lean the scion inward and 
force down so that it reaches below the 
notch. This will make it certain that the 
bark lines cross. Finally cover all cut 
surfaces with hot grafting wax. 
In all forms of cleft graftage, but par- 
ticularly those which employ the split- 
ting of the old wood, it should be remen- 
bered that the growth which heals the 
wound will take place from the scion and 
gradually spread through the end of the 
branch or trunk that has been cut off. 
The old wood is absolutely incapable of 
growth, and hence is liable to become 
infected with disease germs unless kept 
protected until the new wood can cover 
it over completely. If there is a break 
in the wax the sap, which is under strong 
pressure from the roots, will ooze out and 
become sour, because it has been attacked 
by certain germs which set up a fermen- 
tation. These same germs, and also 
others, may find their way beneath the 
wax and the central part of the tree 
thus becomes affected, and even though 
the wound may eventually heal, the tree 
will decay from the interior. This is very 
likely to cause a hollow tree, which might 
break down under the first heavy load 
of fruit. 
Grafting Wax 
There are more than a dozen recipes 
or formulas for making grafting wax, 
