646 Journal of Ai^ricidiiire , Victoria. [11 Sei't., 1911. 



When selecting buds, choose only those upon well grown, matured and 

 healthy young growths from productive trees. Exercise care in seeing that 

 wood and not bloom buds are selected- there is a greater risk of taking 

 bloom buds from fruiting than young grcjwing ones. A\'ith fruit-producing 

 trees, there are exceptions where trees are not so prolific and robust as others 

 of their kind. To select buds or grafts and propagate from such trees is 

 faulty, no matter under what conditions this sterility may have been brought 

 about. The aim of ihe propagator is to encourage the bearing, and not the 

 non-bearijiig strain in all varieties of fruits. One type of bloom bud (apple) 

 is illustrated on page 647. Generally speaking, the bloom buds are full, 

 whilst round the wood buds is tinn and pointed. No hard-and-fa.st descrip- 

 tion can be laid down, both bloom and wood buds varying according to the 

 variety. With the Cleopatra, Jonathan, Rome Beauty, and other varieties 

 of apples, also with many pears, the bloom buds upon the young growths 

 differ greatly from those upon the fruiting spurs. They are long and flat 

 upon the underside and round upon the upper, the wood buds being small, 

 dumpy and slightly pointed. 



Illustration No. 29 shows a few t\ pes of bloom and wood buds ; a and 

 b are buds of the Crow's Duke cherrv. The bloom bud {a) shows a slight 

 difference from the wood bud {b) by being full and round — the avoocI bud 

 is slightlv pointed ; c and d are buds of the Twyford Bigarreau cherry. 

 The reader will notice the resem.blance between them ; also that the bloom 

 bud c is stouter at the base than that of the wood bud d and is of a 

 uniform colour, whilst the wood bud has grey markings ; e and / are buds 

 of the Morello or Plum Stone cherry. They are somewhat similar in shape 

 to c and d; but, instead of the bloom bud e being stout at the base, 

 it is narrower and very full and round towards the middle j g and // show- 

 types of apple buds upon young growths. This bloom bud (g) is easily 

 distinguished from fhe wood bud // ; / is a triple peach bud with a bloom 

 bud on each side of the wood bud ; / is a single bloom bud (peach) ; k a 

 single wood bud (peach) ; and I a triple apricot bud, the node being large 

 and the wood spindly. The reader will recognize from these few examples 

 that, when selecting buds, it is easv to err on the wrong side, especially 

 if one's knowledge of buds is limited. 



Buds should not be used at the apex or near the terminal end of the 

 growths. With many varieties, the apex buds are imperfect or blind, the 

 terminal ones being weaklv. With plum buds, the writer's experience is 

 that apex buds, from some cause, are liable to drop after the stocks have 

 been cut off close to the bud and when the sap is starting to flow. This is 

 especially so wdth varieties like Coe's Golden Drop and Diamond. With 

 the apricot, almond, peach and nectarine, we find triple buds. Such buds 

 are strong and may be used with safety. Avoid, if possible, apricot buds 

 upon spindly growth having the node large, i.e., the part of the base of the 

 leaf stem and bud. 



Select buds from clean healthy growtlis, vertical if possible. The 

 propagator will require to be exceptionallv cautious when selecting cherry 

 buds, especially those from fruiting trees and varieties having the wood 

 and bloom buds similar in shape. If. bv- mischance, a bloom bud is in- 

 serted into the stock and union takes place, such a bud will bloom in the 

 spring and then become blind. In this respect, the cherry differs from 

 many other kinds of f ruits j i.e., when a bloom bud is inserted and, while 

 flowering, the blossom is ciit or pinched off, it will usually push forth a 

 shoot. The base of the young growth is not so straight as that direct from 

 a wood bud j seldom does the cherry shoot from a bloom Inid or that part 

 where a bud has been knocke<i out. 



