100 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Ai'uiL 2, 1910. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



SHIELD BUDDING FOR THE MANGO. 



In Bulletin No. 20 of the Hawaiian Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, an account is given of the means 

 by which shield budding may be employed in the case 

 of the mango, and the advantages of the method suggest 

 that it is worthy of trial in the West Indies. An 

 illustrated account of the propagation of the mango 

 by patch budding was given in the Agricultural 

 News, \o\. Ill, p. iS'-i. In order to facilitate experi- 

 ments in shield budding by those who are interested 

 in the subject, the following information has been taken 

 from the bulletin to which reference is made: — 



The proposed method is new only in its modifications 

 and in its application to the mango. It is merely shield 

 budding with an inverted T adapted to the peculiarities of 

 the mango. Shield budding is probably one of the oldest, 

 and certainly the most widely practised, of all methods of 

 budding. Ordinary shield budding had been tried on the 

 mango long ago, following the general practice in the selection 

 of bud-wood and stock that governs in the shield budding of 

 citrus fruits, peach, or plum. In this case J'oung bud- wood was 

 used with the leaf still attached, and it was inserted in young 

 ■wood. It soon became apparent, however, that this method 

 would not work successfully, and it was abandoned, giving 

 place to the patch bud, which was practised with more 

 mature bud-wood and stock. The present method consists in 

 using wood of the same maturity as in patch budding, 

 but adopts the similar device for bringing the bud shield into 

 contact with the stock, and may be known as shield budding 

 ■with an inverted T incision. 



THE .STOCK. Budding by this method has been success- 

 fully performed on stocks from an inch to 3 inches in 

 diameter. What the limitations are, on either side of these 

 dimensions, is not known at present. Wood of this size, in 

 seedling trees, may be from two to five years old. It is essen- 

 tial that the stocks be in a thrifty condition and, still more 

 important, that they should be in 'flush'. If not in this 

 condition, the bark will not readily separate from the stock. 

 It has been found that the best time is when the terminal buds 

 are just opening. Unless the trees are watched carefully, they 

 will pass this stage before the Hush is observed. When the 

 young, brown leaves have appeared, it is often too late to 

 bud, and the operation must be postponed until the next Hush. 



THE BUD-WOOD. The bud-wood which has been most 

 successfully used is that which has lost most of its leaves, 

 and is turning brown or grey in colour. Such wood is usually 

 about an inch in diameter. It is not necessary in this method 

 of budding that the bud-wood .should be in a flushing condi- 



tion, although it may be an advantage to have it so. It 

 should, however, be healthy wood of normal growth. 



PEEP.4E.\TI0N OF THE .STOCK. The incisions .should be 

 ir.adc in the stock about 6 inches in length. At the lower 

 end of this make an incision at right angles to it, with the 

 knife edge pointing upwards at an angle of about 45 

 degrees with the stock, thus making a curved incision. Insert 

 the sharpened end of the handle of the budding-knife beneath 

 the bark at the junction of these incisions, and pu.sh it gently 

 upward, raising the bark so as to make a place for the bud. 

 It is not nece.ssary to push the handle far, but, by gently 

 prying, the bark may be separated from the stock, if the latter 

 is in proper condition, without injuring the delicate cells 

 against w-hich the bud shield is to be placed. 



PREPAE.\TION OF THE BUD-WOOD. The bud is nOW to 



be removed from the bud-wood. With a rather heavier knife 

 than is generally used for budding, in the right hand, and the 

 bud-wood held firmly in the left, place the blade against the 

 bud-wood with a very slight inclination, and cut so as to make 

 as fiat a surface as possible under the bud shield. This bud 

 shield should be about 3 to 3h inches long, with the bud in 

 the centre. The small portion of wood, which will thus be 

 taken otf with the bud shield, may be removed if it slips 

 readily. If not, it should be left in place. The lower end 

 of the shield is then taken between the thumb and finger, and 

 gently inserted in the incision prepared for it, pushing it up 

 until it is held firmly in place by the surrounding bark. 



TYING ASD wp.appim;. The stock must then be tied 

 vi'ith ratHa cr some other .soft, but strong, tying material, so 

 as to prevent drying out. The cut surfaces below the actual 

 bud are usually covered with grafting -^vax, and the whole is 

 then wrapped with a waxed cotton bandage, beginning at the 

 lower part and winding spirally to the top, exposing only the 

 actual bud. This method of wrapping protects the bud and 

 the wound from the access of water. The bud is shaded by 

 a short piece of bandage hung over it and held in place by 

 being laid under the upper strands of the spirally wound 

 bandage. 



suBsEiiUEXT TKEATME.NT. In about three Or four wceks, 

 if the bud remains green, the stock should be lopped at 

 a point about 7 inches above the bud. Care should be taken, 

 in thus cutting the stock partly off, to avoid splitting down- 

 ward. It should be made to spUt upward into that portion 

 of the stock ■which is to be destroyed. This lopping will 

 serve to force the bud into growth. Many other buds, on 

 the sides of the stock, will start into growth before the new 

 one. These must all be cut off. It has not been found 

 necessary to remove the tying and wrapping material until 



