192 PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 



not so convenient, this mode is rarely practised, except 

 upon plants in which some peculiar condition of the sap 

 at the time of budding seems to require it. 



When the hud is taken from the shoot, as represented 

 in figure 12, c, there is a small pi^c^j^^p^j^rem^ining 

 under the eye, which in hudding some kinds of plants it 

 may be desirable to remove, although it is almost an 

 universal practice in this country to let the wood remain, 

 and doubtless in a majority of cases, and with most kinds 

 of plants, it is best to do so ; but there are many Euro- 

 pean propagators of plants who insist that a more per- 

 manent union can be secured by its removal. Certain 

 French nurserymen claim that the removal of the wood 

 is quite important in using the Quince as a stock for the 

 Pear, preventing overgrowing or " knotting" at the point 

 of union between stock and bud, but I do not think our 

 own nurserymen have found in their experience that the 

 removal of the wood in the ordinary " shield budding" 

 is an advantage. It may be said, however, in its favor, 

 that when buds are to be taken from large stock branches, 

 like those produced by some varieties of the Pear and 

 4 certain species of the Magnolia, that hj^je 

 ^opj, we gp^rftjajyuiffjiffig shjelrM-.Q fifit ^ 

 surface of the stock, thereby making a better mechanical 

 joirungof jj^two^than could be made otherwise. Vari- 

 ous devices have been employed for removing the wood 

 from buds, in addition to the more common one of lift- 

 ing it out with the point % of the budding knife, raising 

 the upper end first, and peeling it downward to avoid 

 breaking out the center or heart of the bud too deep, as 

 is likely to occur if the lower end of the wood is lifted 

 first and then pulled out from thid direction. 



But if the w-ood is to be removed from any considerable 

 number.of buds, branches should be used from which the 

 bark will readily peel .without tearing or breaking the 

 fibres, and the buds removed as follows : Hold the 



