VIII PROPAGATION 127 



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 a 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. 



The point of the budding knife carefully inserted at 

 one end is usually the means by which the wood is got 

 out, though I knew an old gardener who said he " kept 

 a thoomb-nail o' purpose," a gruesome object which he 

 exhibited with pride. The beginner had better try 

 several ways till he finds what suits him best, remem- 

 bering that the one object is to get the wood out clean, 

 and yet leave the inside of the bud. Which end of the 

 wood should be raised first will naturally depend 

 upon whether it is to be lifted, ^^^iHed, or pushed 

 out. 



If the wood comes out all right leaving the bud, there 

 will probably be no trouble with any buds on that shoot. 

 And vice versa, for it is the condition of the shoot which 

 is at fault, if you find that you have pulled the in- 

 terior of a bud out, take extra pains with the other 

 buds on that shoot if a better one is not to be found ; 

 in obstinate cases, the knife itself may be passed down 

 under the bark, and help the desired object. But care 

 must be taken that the inner surface of the bark of the 



