ARBORICULTURE. 347 



wood as those at the extremity, nor so apt to lie dormant as those 

 at the lower end. In some cases, however, the buds from the 

 middle and extremity of the shoots are to be rejected, and those 

 taken which are at the base of the annual shoots. 



The stocks for budding may, in general, be much smaller than 

 for grafting, as the operation may be performed on the same 

 year's shoot. But it may also be performed on shoots or stems 

 of several years' growth, and in such, by inserting a number of 

 buds, a complete tree may be formed at once. 



For gathering the shoots containing the buds, an early or late 

 hour is choSen, on this principle, that the leaves being at these 

 periods in a less active state of perspiration and suffer least from 

 being separated from their parent plant. They are preserved 

 fresh, and may be sent a great distance by inserting their ends in 

 water or moist moss ; though, in general, they should be used as 

 soon after gathering as possible, and the whole operation should 

 be performed with the greatest celerity. 



Professor Thouin enumerates twenty-three species and varieties 

 of budding ; but we shall here describe only one, which is in 

 general use : viz. 



Shield budding, or T budding. This is performed by select- 

 ing a smooth part on the side of the stock, rather from than to- 

 wards the sun, and of a height depending, as- in grafting, on 

 whether dwarf, half or whole standard trees, are desired ; then 

 with the budding knife, make a horizontal cut across the rind, 

 quite through to the firm wood ; from the middle of this traverse 

 cut, make a slit downward, perpendicularly, an inch or more 

 long, going also quite through to the wood. This done, proceed 

 with all expedition to take off a bud ; holding a cutting, or scion, 

 in one hand, with the thickest end outward, and with the knife in 

 the other hand, enter it about half an inch or more below a bud, 

 cutting near halfway into the wood of the shoot, continuing it with 

 one clean slanting cut, about half of an inch or more above the bud, 

 so deep as to take off part of the wood along with it, the whole 



