66 VILLA GARDE^^ING part i 



that by the removal of a little earth with a sharp pointed stick 

 from aroimd the collar of the plant on the north side, that moist 

 bark will be found, which will work freely m the hottest weather ; 

 and the lower the buds are inserted in the side of the stock the 

 better for the plants. Having made sure that the bark of the 

 stock works freely, then look up the buds, and where there is a 

 good collection of Roses grown, some will be siu-e to have suitable 

 buds fit for working. In budding several of a sort, it will be 

 better to do them all at the same time if possible, as then one 

 label will do, and it is always desirable to have the names or 

 numbers placed on the rows of plants as the budding is proceeded 

 with. The knife must be very sharp ; indeed, no one should per- 

 form any operation that requires the severance of young tissues with 

 a blunt instrument, and in the case of standards the buds must be 

 placed on the upper side of the young shoot, close to the main stem. 

 When the operator has gained experience and confidence, one bud in 

 each stock will do ; but amateurs may with advantage, in disbudding 

 the stocks, leave two shoots if well placed. I should have said that, 

 during the spring, the stocks should be attended to, and all useless 

 growth removed. It is best to bud in showery weather, or on dull 

 I lays in the evening or early in the morning ; or if the w^ork must 

 be done in bright sunshine, as nuich expedition as possible should 

 l)e used in tying in the buds. There is no advantage in making 

 the shield of the bud larger than from half to three-quarters of an 

 inch in length, and of proportionate width. Large shields involve 

 more mutilation of the stock, and are more difticult to manipulate. 

 The wood from which the buds are taken should have been pre- 

 viously cut from the plants, the leaves removed, leaving about an 

 inch of the leaf-stalk or petiole. The little bundles of young 

 shoots are then labelled and placed in a pan or a pail partly filled 

 with water to keep them fresh. A bundle of slips of soft tying 

 material are also prepared and kept in the water. Remove the 

 buds from the parent branch by making an upward cut, beginning 

 a short distance below the bud, taking off a thin slice of wood with 

 it ; then, by a little jerk with finger and tliumb in contact with 

 the point of the knife, extract the wood from the back of the 

 bud, leaving the centre or eye of the latter intact. The pressiu-e 

 shoidd be apphed from the lower end of the shield, and as this is 

 a most important operation, much care should be exercised; for 

 if the centre of the bud comes away, or is injured by extracting 

 the w^ood, it cannot grow, and all our work will be useless. 

 When I have cut out the bud to my satisfaction, I place it in my 

 mouth whilst I prepare the stock for its reception, which is only 

 the work of a very few seconds. An upward longitudinal cut is 



