48 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Jan., 1911 



more tlian Half-an-inch below the bud, is first made (a, Fig. 5). Com- 

 mencing at 6, a curved cut is then made as shown by the dotted line 

 (Fig. 5), which, junctioning with the first cut, removes the scion bud. 

 This cut should be fairly deep, so that, after removal, the piece bearing 

 the bud shows the pith along the whole section. It is now rather thicker 

 than is desirable, and requires paring down on the inner, or wood side, 

 and shortening by the cut shown at c (Fig. 5), which is made at a more 

 acute angle with the axis of the cane than that at "a." The paring 

 should be carefully done, so that the bud-scion, when finished, is cut 

 to an absolutely plane surface, only showing two small spots of pith 

 on the inner or wood, side above and below the transverse woody par- 

 tition, which is to be found at every bud. The section should appear 

 as shown (Fig. 5), C. 



Fig. 5. 



removal of scion-bud as practised at Butherglen; B, outer view of bud 

 immediately after removal; C, view of same from inner (wood) side, after 

 trimming and when ready for insertion in stock. 



Fig. 6 shows how the stock is prepared. Four cuts of the budding 

 knife are required ; A shows the stock after the first two have been exe- 

 cuted, and B after completion of the whole four. The stock is now 

 ready to receive the scion. 



The first cut should be exactly similar to that made at a (Fig. 5), 

 when taking the scion. It is essential for an accurate fit that this cut 

 should be made at the same angle, both on stock and scion ; a way 

 of insuring this is by cutting the scion, in the first place, a little longer 

 (below the bud) than is really required. By holding; it against the 

 uncut stock in as nearly as possible the position it will ultimately occupy, 

 it is easy, by a single cut of the budding knife, through the base of the 

 scion-bud, and into the stock to the required depth, to obtain absolute 

 identity of angle. 



