SECRETAKY'S REPORT. 167 



heres to the wood, the operation will certainly fail. 2d, Ihat the hud 

 to be inserted should he properly ripened ; as otherwise it will not 

 have vital energ'y enough to establish itself in its new home. With 

 ripe, plump buds and a freely flowing sap, union between the bark 

 of the bud and the alburnum of the stock will be easily and speed- 

 ily effected. 



The proper time for budding varies with circumstances ; as 

 whether the season, be a wet or a dry one ; the age and condition 

 of the stocks, &c. In average seasons I have usually been most 

 successful with plums and cherries from the middle to the end of 

 July, with pears from the twentieth of July to the fifth of August, 

 and with apples, from the fifth to the twentieth of August. 



To pi-epare scions for budding, select well grown shoots of the 

 present year's growth ; cut off and reject all imperfectly developed 

 buds at the lower end, and all unripe ones towards the top ; then cut 

 oiF the leaves from the remainder at a point about the middle of 

 the stems, leaving part of the foot-stalk of each, by which the bet- 

 ter to handle the bud. In this condition the scions may be kept, 

 if need be, for a week or ten days, or be carried a considerable dis- 

 tance if wrapped in damp moss. Where scions are plenty, only a 

 few of the best buds in the middle of the shoot should be used, as 

 those below are apt to be backward about starting into growth the 

 next spring, while those at the upper part, beibg easily excited, 

 are more liable to start into growth the same season, and especially 

 if wet, warm weather ensues ; in which case the young shoots are 

 sure to be killed or injured th^ following winter. AVhen the vari- 

 ety used is scarce and valuable, we would take more risk and insert 

 some which would otherwise be rejected. 



The preferable size for stocks to be budded is half an inch in 

 diameter, (from one quarter to three quarters of an inch is the 

 usual range) ; though sometimes both larger and smaller stocks 

 are worked by this mode. 



There are many methods of performing this operation ; but the 

 most common and the best, is what is called shield or T budding. 

 It is performed as follows : Select a smooth part of the stock, then 

 with a sharp budding knife make a horizontal cut across the bark 

 quite through to the wood ; from the middle of this cut make a slit 

 downwards an inch or more long, going also through to the wood ; 

 so that both cuts taken together shall resemble a letter T. Next 

 cut from your scion a thin slice of bark with a little wood in the 



