PKOPAGATION. 85 



the best. For this very reason the sooner bud and 

 stock are united the better it is and the greater the 

 chances of success. Having secured your shoots con- 

 taining as many buds as you require, you now see to 

 it that your stocks are all in order for the operation, 

 that is, all shoots to be budded are clear of thorns and 

 leaves for about five to six inches from the base, so 

 that they do not interfere with the tying in of your 

 bud. The operation on standard and dwarf stocks is 

 the same, but as the handling is a little different. We 

 will consider the budding of standards first. Take hold 

 of the branch to be budded with your left hand, and 

 then with the knife in your right make a longitudinal 

 cut, starting from as near the base as possible upward 

 for about an inch, and then make a cross cut at the 

 upper end. Do not cut too deep, only cut through the 

 bark; avoid cutting the wood, as this is harmful. In- 

 sert the handle end of your budding knife into the cut 

 and raise the bark each side; this will admit of the 

 sliding into place of the bud when it is reaay. Now 

 take a shoot containing the required buds in your left 

 hand, holding the butt end between your finger and 

 thumb ; start to cut half an inch below the bud and 

 keep the cut as level as possible, dipping it only 

 slightly below the bud and coming out about half an 

 inch above it. If you cut too deep, your bud will not 

 only slide into position badly, but there is a danger 

 when the wood is removed of its not lying close to the 

 wood in its new quarters. Cut shallow and leave as 

 little wood to be removed as possible. 



To remove the wood take the bud section cut 

 off between the finger and thumb with the cut side 

 lying uppermost and the upper end pointing away 

 from the hand, insert the tip of the knife be- 

 tween the wood and the bark, and with a 

 slight twist of the knife jerk the fragment 

 of wood from the bark; if the wood comes 

 away correctly it will leave the face of the bud ex- 

 posed, but if, as is sometimes the case, the wood comes 

 away with the core of the bud, then a hollow will be 

 seen and the bud is of no value. Some buds are verv 



