144 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE CHAP. 
freely. Rub the thorns off the two inches of the 
branch to be operated on which are nearest to the 
main stem. Next make a cross cut half an inch long 
and about an inch from the stem, and be sure it goes 
clean down to the wood, then make a clean straight 
longitudinal cut at right angles to the first one as 
far as the stem. Insert the bone handle of the 
budding knife into this cut, and pass it evenly down 
under the bark on both sides from cross cut to stem, 
raising it a little, so that the two cuts forma T. It 
is best so to choose the position that the longitudinal 
cut does not pass through or near a wild natural bud, 
as this will leave a little projection which will hinder 
the smooth passage of the bud. It is not worth 
while to try to get the new bud just where a wild 
one was before. 
The stock is now ready, and we turn to take a 
bud from our Rose-shoot. This should be sliced off 
so that we have the leaf-stalk with the bud under it 
in the centre of about an inch of bark, the other side 
being flat and smooth and containing a portion of 
the wood of the Rose. 
Now comes the most critical point. The wood 
has to be cleanly removed from the inside of the 
shield of bark without taking with it the immature 
soft growth or cambium, which forms the inside of 
the bud. If the bud is in the right condition, the 
wood generally breaks away from the bud, leaving 
the appearance of an eye or hole which is filled up. 
But if the inside of the bud appears hollow, a fresh 
one should be taken, as a large percentage of 
failures arises entirely from this cause. Occasionally 
some may grow, but a good union is unlikely and 
most will fail utterly. 
