256 



taining 35 to 40 large, well shaped beans of a light mauve colour in- 

 side. These trees should have their pod> and primaries kept ofi and man- 

 ured heavily to induce them to produce ;.s many vertical shoots or 

 ' gormandizers" as possible, to be used as bud- wood. The next thing 

 to be done is to cut down to within a foot or so from the ground all 

 undesirab'e trees that do not pay for the rent and upkeep of the land 

 they occupy and there are usually many of t' ese — imd train up tw<> 

 gormandizers ; one for budding upon : nd the other " to keep up the 

 root" when the other is cut down after the bud has taken, and un- 

 til the bud is firmly established as the stem of the new tree As al- 

 ready stated the operation of budd ngis extremely simpl , and it has to 

 be very clumsily done indeed for a bu I t' fail to grow It is merely 

 a matter of removing a piece of bark, containing a bud, from one of the 

 gormandizers of the good tree and tying it into a place on one of the 

 gormandizers of the inferior tree from which a corresponding piece of 

 bark has been removed. Ih^ work may be commenced when the 

 stock and bud-wood are about | of an inch in diameter, though a stout 

 old gormandizer an inch and a hilf in diameter yields excellent buds. 

 The operation of budding involves the application of one or two prin- 

 ciples thitt are not generally known, and a detailed explanation would, 

 therefore, be of use in many instances where mere practical directions 

 would fail. 



Most trees have what may be termed a growing season and a rest- 

 ing or dormant s ason. In the growing season, between the wood and 

 bark, the existence of the cambium layer becomes apparent, this is 

 made up of several layers of thin- walled, rapidly growing and dividing 

 cells. 



On the removal of the piece of bark it will be found that a part of the 

 delicate cambium has remained on the wood und part comes away with 

 the bark, and if these two surfaces of thin-walled cells are exposed to 

 dry air for a few minutes they will wither and die, but if immediately 

 replaced and firmly tied, will just as assuredly grow to^etiier again; 

 to ensure success, however, the following esse tials must be observed : — 



That both the stock and the tree yielding the buds be growing 

 rapidly. 



That the bud-wood be a little larger in diameter than the stock, to 

 ensure the area on the under sirle of the actual bud being brought into 

 close contact with the wood when tied in ; if the bud-wood be less in 

 diameter than the stock, a hollow space will occur between these parts 

 that should be closely applied ; acting with this against success is the 

 thinness of the bark of the younger wood and the consequent impossi- 

 bility of tying in clos ly 



That the bud be tied in tightly, especially at the points just below 

 and above the bud proper, but yet not tight enough to crush or bruise 

 the bark. 



That the piece of bark containing the bud be removed from the 

 wood without bruising, bearing in mind ihat bending will bruise or 

 crush the cells of a plant. 



That the moisture be retained in the bud during the time required 

 to join up by using a tying material that will prevent evaporation; 

 «■ e. waxed tape. 1 his is made by < ipping f inch tape into a melted 

 mixiure of I lb bees'-wax, a piece of resin the size of a hen's egg, and 



