CLEFT GRAFTING 



363 



Cleft grafting is the most common form of top-working em- 

 ployed by the grower; as the name implies, it consists of mak- 

 ing a cleft in the stock into which the graft or cion is inserted 

 (Fig. 139). The operation is feasible upon limbs varying in 

 size from those just strong 

 enough to hold the cions firmly 

 in place to those so large that 

 the clefts or wedge-shaped open- 

 ings in the branches can be 

 made with diflBculty. On trees 

 set in the orchard only from one 

 to two or three years, the cions 

 are usually placed in the trunks ; 

 on older trees they are placed in 

 the branches. 



The tendency of the cions 



is to grow directly upward. 



If they are inserted in lateral 



tranches, they will not assume 



the same direction as these ^' ^^^'^ 



branches but will turn and grow ' ^^^'''f'^Z '}f' 



T -r , , . . mg. (a) Cions. (d) Cleft m stock 



upward. In determmmg the ^^^^^ -^^^^^-^^ ^^^^^ 



branches to be grafted, it is cions inserted in cleft, (d) Cleft 



important to select, as far as and cion tips waxed, (e) Side view 



possible, those that may be of cion showing wedge shape of cut 



grafted near the ground. Other- Portion. (/) Mallet for making cleft 



4.1 II 1 with chisel, (g) Grafting chisel — 



ivise the new head may be very ^ , , , . ,^ 



T., r ^ ' 1 ^ot^ curved blade which prevents 



lllgh, the fruit being borne tearing of the bark. A sharp knife 



at the ends of long, polelike is also needed for shaping the ciong. 



tranches. 



Take at least two years to work over trees of considerable 

 size. All grafts may be set in one year, but part of the top 

 should be left to be removed later. It is not safe to cut off the 

 entire tops of such trees in a single year. The trees may die 

 or the cions may be forced into excessive growth, breaking 

 out by their own weight or being killed in winter. Also, the 



