288 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



able size, and when the buds have become firm, but if the growth of the 

 stocks is still very rapid it will be well to delay the operation, as a too 

 vigorous growth may throw out or cover up and smother the buds. The 

 budding should be completed ten days or two weeks before growth stops, 

 and while it can be performed with good success as late as the first week 

 in October, it is better to have it finished by the middle of September. 

 If the budding is performed early in the season and the period of growth 

 is long, the buds may start into growth and be injured by the winter. In 

 addition to the seedling stocks and scions of the desired variety, the only 

 materials required in budding are a budding-knife and something for bind- 

 ing the buds. The budding-knife (Fig. 5, a), has a thin, sharp blade with 

 its end rounded so that the point is even with the back. To assist in open- 

 ing the bark there is either a thin piece of ivory in the other end of the han- 

 dle, or the tip of the blade may be rounded so as to make it blunt. As a wrap- 

 ping material raffia, which is obtained in narrow strips from the epidermis 

 of the leaves of a certain kind of palm, is most commonly used, although 



ilvl i 



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- -'^ '^/i: 





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a, Budding-knife. 



Fig. 5.— Budding. 

 h, Bad-Btick and bnds. 



c, 



Bud inserted and wrapped. 



yarn or the bast layer of bark of the basswood are preferred by some. 

 The operation of budding consists in making a T-shape cut in the bark 

 of the stock and, after lifting the bark, placing under it a bud from the 

 scion with a little bark attached and binding the bark firmly down upon it. 

 The cut is made within three or four inches of the ground, drawing the 

 knife either vertically or horizontally first, as is most convenient. In case 

 the horizontal cut is first made, the knife should be drawn upward to the 

 cross-cut, when making the vertical incision, and when the two meet a 

 slight twist of the wrist will cause the knife to turn up the edges of the 

 bark so that the bud can be easily inserted. If the horizontal cut is made 

 last, it should be at a slight angle (Fig. 5, a) so that the corners of the 

 bark will be somewhat raised from the stock. If the stocks are in proper 

 condition for budding, the bark will be sufficiently raised to readily admit 

 of the insertion of the bud. If for any reason the bark does not lift, 

 the ivory at the end of the handle, or the rounded end of the blade 

 of the budding-knife, can be used to open it. Having made the 



