CHE REFERENCE LIBRARY - ZetaTalk

162 THE NURSERY-MANUAL.“The ragged edges of the bark around the wound are cut back to livetissue (Fig. 191 13). At the points above and below the wound where eachcion is to be inserted, the bark is slit about one-half or three-quarters ofan inch. The cion should be about one and one-half inches longer thanthe space to he abridged, and is beveled on each end with a straight cutabout an inch long. This beveling exposes considerable cambium layerand facilitates the insertion of the eion under the bark and against thecamhium layer of the stock. The bark at the slit below the wound isloosened with the knife, and the lower end of the rion is inserted with thecut side next to the wood of the tree. In order that the cambium layersof cion and stock may be held in close contact, a brad is driven throughthe end of the rion into the tree. The slit at the upper edge of the woundis then loosened and the &her end of the rion inserted and nailed. Whenthe bridging is completed, the area about the ends of the cions is carefullyivnxecl to prevent drying out and possible infection and to excludeair and moisture. In some cases it may be advisable to wrap the partswhere the (*ions are inserted with bandage or raffia to insure their beingheld in place. For a tree with a trunk one and a half inches or less indiameter, usually three c*ions in the bridge are enough. With each inchadded to the diameter, at least one cion should be added to the bridge.“If the princ4l)lc~ that the caml)ium layers of stock and cion should comein contact is carefully c*arried out, other forms of bridge-grafting may beused with S~CYYSS. One of these is illustrated in Fig. 191 C’. Here rutsare made al)out half an inch above and below the girdle through the barkinto the sapwood, tllus cautting across the rambium layer. The rions forthis bridge arp n&r very much as those previously described. They areinserted, nailed, and waxed in a similar way. Still another method ofbridge-grafting, wllic*ll some growers have found very satisfactory, isillustrated in Fig. 191 11. The cambium layer of the stock is exposedby cutting uut pieces of bark above and below the girdle, correspondingaccurately in size with the ends of the cion to be inserted. The cionsare cut as shown in Fig. l!Il II and are nailed and waxed as in the methodalready described.“Bridge-grafting may be used on any of the orchard fruit trees grownin Ntlw York State. More damage by girdling is probably done on appleand pear trees than on any other fruits; however plum, cherry and peachtrees are often irljurrtl, and bridge-grafting, which is the only method ofsaving tIleill, is ~41 \Vortli trial. It is advisable to replace very youngtrees unless the girdled portion is far enough above the root system topermit of cleft-grafting in the trunk just below the girdle. If bridgegraftingis skillfully done, and the bridged portion carefully attended