CHAP. IV.] BUDDING. 75 



piece of wood and bark, pointed at the lower 

 end. The leaf is then taken off, but the foot- 

 stalk is left on. 



The next thing is to separate the bark with 

 the bud attached, from the wood ; and on the 

 nicety of this operation much depends, as if 

 any wood be left in the bark the bud will not 

 take ; generally, however, if the sap be in a 

 proper state of movement, the wood comes out 

 easily, without leaving the smallest particle 

 behind. The bud must be then examined 

 below, that is, on the side which was next the 

 wood ; and if it appears fresh and firm it is 

 likely to take, but if it looks shrunk and 

 withered it had better be thrown away, as it 

 will never grow. Slits, longitudinal and across, 

 are then made in a shoot of the stock, generally 

 near the fork of a branch ; and the bark is 

 gently raised with the handle of the budding- 

 knife (which is purposely made thin and flat), 

 while the piece of bark to which the bud is 

 attached is slipped into the opening, and the 

 bark of the stock is closed over it. This is an 

 operation that requires the greatest nicety and 

 exactness; as, unless the inner bark of the 

 bud fits quite closely to the soft wood of the 

 stock, it is in vain to hope that it will take. 

 The operation is then completed by binding the 

 two parts together with a strand or strip of 

 bast mat, which in the case of rose trees is 

 quite sufficient ; but buds on apple and pear 

 trees are sometimes wrapped round with wet 

 moss, which is tied on by shreds of bast 

 matting. In all cases, the strips of bast should 



