﻿40 
  

  

  killed 
  by 
  souring 
  of 
  the 
  sap. 
  In 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  weeks 
  time 
  the 
  tie 
  

   should 
  be 
  loosened 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  rapid 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  stock 
  will 
  not 
  

   cause 
  the 
  tie 
  to 
  cut 
  into 
  the 
  bark. 
  

  

  The 
  Mechanics 
  of 
  Patch-hudding. 
  

  

  After 
  all 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  about 
  cambium 
  and 
  stocks 
  and 
  scions 
  and 
  

   their 
  relation 
  to 
  each 
  other, 
  there 
  is 
  still 
  volumes 
  to 
  be 
  written 
  on 
  

   the 
  mechanics 
  of 
  pecan 
  propagation. 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  want 
  to 
  scare 
  anyone 
  

   off 
  from 
  trying, 
  but 
  if 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  plant 
  more 
  difficult 
  to 
  propagate 
  

   than 
  the 
  pecan, 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  found 
  it. 
  Even 
  experienced 
  propa- 
  

   gators 
  of 
  general 
  nursery 
  stock 
  have 
  given 
  up 
  pecan 
  budding 
  as 
  a 
  

   bad 
  job. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  a 
  novice 
  or 
  "pecan 
  crank" 
  who 
  is 
  

   handy 
  with 
  tools 
  and 
  has 
  the 
  patience 
  to 
  study 
  out 
  the 
  causes 
  of 
  

   his 
  failures, 
  may 
  acquire 
  the 
  skill 
  to 
  obtain 
  almost 
  a 
  perfect 
  ' 
  ' 
  live 
  ' 
  ' 
  

   of 
  buds. 
  This 
  all 
  goes 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  extreme 
  precision 
  is 
  the 
  pass- 
  

   word 
  in 
  the 
  mechanics 
  of 
  patch-budding. 
  In 
  the 
  first 
  place, 
  the 
  

   knives 
  should 
  be 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  quality 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  will 
  hold 
  a 
  clean, 
  

   fine 
  edge. 
  All 
  cuts 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  with 
  accuracy 
  and 
  precision, 
  

   so 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  rough 
  edges 
  and 
  bias 
  corners. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  

   living 
  buds 
  will, 
  under 
  ordinary 
  circumstances, 
  be 
  in 
  exact 
  propor- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  the 
  accuracy 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  bud 
  patch 
  fits 
  the 
  place 
  made 
  

   for 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  stock. 
  The 
  experienced 
  pecan 
  budder 
  as 
  he 
  takes 
  the 
  

   bud 
  off 
  the 
  stick 
  can 
  tell 
  whether 
  or 
  not 
  they 
  will 
  grow. 
  If 
  he 
  tears 
  

   the 
  bark 
  in 
  cutting 
  the 
  patch, 
  he 
  drops 
  that 
  bud 
  and 
  cuts 
  another 
  ; 
  

   if 
  the 
  bud 
  patch 
  splits, 
  he 
  discards 
  it 
  ; 
  if 
  his 
  fingers 
  touch 
  the 
  cam- 
  

   bium 
  or 
  the 
  bud 
  patch 
  falls 
  to 
  the 
  ground, 
  he 
  wastes 
  no 
  time 
  with 
  

   it, 
  but 
  cuts 
  another 
  and 
  another 
  until 
  he 
  gets 
  the 
  conditions 
  perfect. 
  

   There 
  is 
  little 
  use 
  in 
  tying 
  in 
  any 
  bud 
  that 
  does 
  not 
  fit 
  perfectly. 
  

   For 
  this 
  reason 
  it 
  is 
  desirable 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  bud 
  stick 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   diameter 
  as 
  the 
  stock. 
  The 
  bud 
  patches 
  from 
  thin 
  or 
  small 
  scions 
  

   have 
  to 
  be 
  stretched 
  to 
  fit 
  and 
  generally 
  give 
  a 
  poor 
  ''live"; 
  like- 
  

   wise, 
  the 
  buds 
  from 
  the 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  ridged 
  portion 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  

   the 
  bud 
  stick. 
  The 
  transfer 
  of 
  the 
  bud 
  patch 
  should 
  also 
  be 
  made 
  

   quickly 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  cambium 
  will 
  have 
  the 
  shortest 
  possible 
  exposure 
  

   to 
  the 
  air. 
  

  

  After 
  Treatment. 
  

  

  The 
  process 
  of 
  patch-budding 
  is 
  not 
  complete 
  even 
  after 
  a 
  good 
  

   "live" 
  of 
  buds 
  is 
  secured. 
  It 
  still 
  requires 
  some 
  judicious 
  after- 
  

   treatment 
  to 
  get 
  them 
  into 
  good 
  normal 
  growth. 
  On 
  account 
  of 
  

   the 
  drastic 
  heading 
  back 
  the 
  tree 
  has 
  received, 
  practically 
  every 
  

   dormant 
  bud 
  will 
  be 
  forced 
  into 
  active 
  growth. 
  These 
  will 
  push 
  

  

  