The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-03-27
ToP-GRAFTING FRUIT TREES

chards is being greatly reduced by the
presence, of inferior varieties. The
good varieties are having to pay the
bills of the poor ones. 1t costs as
much to prune, opray, thin, cultivate,
irrigate and harvest varieties which
sell for fifty cents per box as yarie-
ties that bring two dollars per box.
A variety that barely paid expenses
in year of good prices is certain to
prove loss in years Of larger crops.
For the purpose of wedding out
these 'boarder' trees by top-graft-
ing to desirable varities this spring
a circular is being issued by the ex-
tension department of the University
of Idaho.
Time for top grating.
Top grating is done in the spring
before the breaking of the leaf or
fruit buds. Late in the spring just
before the buds are breaking is the
proper time to saw off the main limbs
end place the scions in position.
Cut Scions at Once
Scions of apple should be cut be-
fore the buds have started to SWELL
They should be kept in a cool place
preferably buried in moist sand.
no h 10
variety for your locality and go to
bearing trees of recognized individual
merit of this variety to cut your
scions. The sclons should be cut
from last years growth, healthy ter
minals of twelve to twenty-four inch
lengths are suitable for scions In
the case Of prunes the buds keep
best uncut until the grating Is done.
Methods of Top-grafting
The cleft graft is common met
hod. Trees of bearing age are adapt
ed. to this system. The four to six
scatfold limbs which are to be top
grated are sawed squarely off at a
convenient distance from the tree
crotch. Limbs three or four inches
in diameter are easily top-worked and
sometimes six-inch limbs are worked
successfully. A few limbs had bet
ter be left uncut upon the southwest
side, to afford shade and growth to
the tree while the gratis are start
ing. Scions are cut from the scion
limbs in lengths five or six inches
long each containing three to five
good strong buds. The lower end of
scion should be whitfield to wedge
coming to a point and thinner upon
the side to be placed innermost on the
limb. Split down the sawed stump
to be grated for few inches from
the end with grating weGge and hold
split open with wedge while scion
previously cut and sharpened as de-
scribed is inserted at the two sides.
Each scion should be placed with the
lower bud just even with the top Of
the sawed stub and pointing outward.
The wedge of the scion should be
held firmly i'll place as soon as the
split stick is allowed to close upon
them The scion should be set so
that the inner bark or cambium lay
er of the scion should cross and come
in direct contact with the cambium of
the sawed limb. A properly made
grating wax is placed over end of
scion and sawed limb stub is also
coated with wax to exclude rain wat
er and air from all cut or split sur
faces.
II the scions make strong growth
the first season it may be necessary
to head them back the first season to
heavy and being blown out by the
wind. Either the first or second
spring following the year the CRAFTS
are placed, all but one strong limb
should be cut out and this pruned and
headed back as a young tree would be
grown. 1t is possible to get some
fruit upon the new tree head the sec
ond or third year and perfect tree
of the new variety may be built upon
a strong stock in five or six years.
Bearing apples, pears, prunes and
occasionally peaches are successfully
top-worked. Budding is sometimes
practiced to change young trees from
wrong to a right variety, but this
spring is the time to top-work all in
ferior varieties of bearing trees. If
the tree is one of very weak growth,
it will be cheaper to pull out the tree
and replace with a new one of the
right kind.
Topgrafting is no no longer the
work of a wizard. Any grower with
time and care can do such work him
self, or he can get neighbor or per-
son who has had experience to dc
such work for him. The extension
bulletin on top-grafting will be avail