968 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Budding' the pecan, G. W. Oliver ( U. S. Dept. Agr. , Bureau of Plant Industry Bui. 

 30, pp. 18, pis. S). — Methods of guccessfull)' budding and transplanting budded pecan 

 trees are given, together with a numljer of drawings iUustrating the various phases 

 of the subject. The principal trouble arising from budding pecans seems to be due 

 to the selection of immature buds. The author prefers for planting nuts obtained 

 from the northern borders of the pecan belt since these are likely to be more hardj' 

 than those grown farther south. Over winter they should be layered in boxes filled 

 in alternate layers with a mixture of sand and ashes. Rows in spring are planted 

 east and west so that the trees may be budded on the north side. In planting 

 trenches are made about 3 ft. apart and 5 in. deep. The bottoms of these are covered 

 about 2 in. deep with a mixture of equal parts leaf mold and sand. The nuts are 

 spaced 5 in. apart and the soil raked over them. Above the rows a half-inch mulch 

 of half rotted leaves, cut cornstalks, or other materials is placed to prevent the soil 

 from baking. The buds selected for propagation should be those formed during the 

 preceding season. These dormant buds are easily removed from the bud stick and 

 can be handled without injury. After union and the cutting back of the stocks these 

 buds make a much stronger growth during the remainder of the season than would 

 buds of the current season's growth. The best buds are obtained from near the base 

 of the shoots which grew from axillary buds the preceding season. As soon as the 

 bud stick is cut from the tree the current season's growth is cut off and discarded and 

 the 1-year-old bud sticks wrapped in dampened newspapers. In this manner they 

 can be kept for several days if necessary. 



In budding 2 transverse cuts, a few inches above the ground line, are made about 

 an inch apart. These are connected by a longitudinal cut through the center. The 

 bark on either side of this longitudinal cut is raised to admit the bud. The bud is 

 cut exactly the same length, about 1 in. long and | in. wide, with the bud in the 

 center. Considerable care is necessary in raising the patch from the bud stick to 

 prevent lireaking the bark and otherwise injuring it. The outer bark of the bud 

 patch is shaved off a little so that the edges will make a perfect fit under the bark of 

 the stock. After the bud has been jilaced securely in position the bark of the stock 

 is bound firmly over it and held in plai-e with raflia. A little soft grafting wax is 

 smeared across the top of the cut to prevent the admission of water, and the whole 

 patch except the bud wrapped with a narrow strip of waxed cloth. The wrapping 

 is begun at the bottom and each wrap half covered by the succeeding one. As a pro- 

 tection against the sun a strip of paper about 8 in. long and 6 in. wide is tied about 

 an inch above the bud. The paper extends downward and covers the bud but is 

 left open at the bottom. After the sixth day the paper covering is removed and after 

 the tenth day the wax cloth taken off. By the end of the fifteenth day the buds 

 will have united sufficienth' to permit of the removal of the raffia. 



This method uf budding is stated to make a very satisfactory union. With care- 

 fully selected buds from 1-year-old wood and vigorous growing seedling stocks, prac- 

 tically every section of the bark will unite. 



When the seedling stocks are small a triangular bud patch may be used. Great 

 care must be taken that the patch exactly fit the patch of bark removed from the 

 stock. One apex of the triangle should point upward. A small quantity of soft 

 grafting wax should be smeared over the cut before it is tied with raffia. This 

 method of budding is especially useful with small buds; with the large buds a larger 

 section of bark is needed. 



Buds should be encovaraged to start prompt! }' into growth. This is facilitated by 

 removing the top of the seedling, leaving only 1 or 2 healthy leaves at the base of 

 the present season's growth. The buds in the axils of the leaves which start out 

 within a few days should be promptly removed. Within a month the scion bud 

 will have developed several full sized leaves. If the buds are inserted before the end 

 of June there will be abundant time for the development of a good sized shoot. The 



