PROPAGATION BY BUDDING. 195 



season to suit the different species, varieties, localities 

 and soils. The experienced propagator, who has become 

 acquainted with the habits of various species, usually 

 delays the qperatio^ until^the stock has passed its seas.on 

 of most. rapid growth, for he has learned that if the bud 

 is inserted too early in the season, the stock may over- 

 grow and smother it. Then, again, buds which are set 

 too early will often push into growth, and not having 

 sufficient time to mature their wood before winter, are 

 killed by cold. Pinching off the ends of the new shoots, 

 when a few inches long, will usually check the growth 

 and hasten maturity ; but buds which make no growth 

 the first season are in the best condition to resist the cold 

 of winter. Eemoving the ligature with which the bud is 

 tied, as soon as a union is formed between bud and stock, 

 will usually prevent premature or fall growth. 



Although summer is the best season for budding most 

 kinds of plants, still, the operation may of ten be success- 

 fully performed in the spring, when vegetation is just 

 starting into growth, or when the sap has begun to flow 

 freely. The branches from which the buds are to be taken 

 are usually cut from the parent plant early in winter and 

 packed away where the buds will remain dormant and yet 

 keep alive and uninjured until wanted for use. Budding 

 in spring is performed precisely as in the summer, except 

 that bhere should be no attempt at removing the wood. 

 Buds may also be removed from one tree and inserted 

 into another in the spring, if both stock and cion are in 

 the same condition, but the operation is not generally as 

 successful as summer budding. 



With trees and shrubs which have a very thick bark, 

 such as Hickory and Magnolia, or even those with a 

 thinner bark, like the Chestnut, Cherry, ^etc., the annu- 

 lar or rjng budding may be performed in the spring after 

 growth has commenced, and in some instances it may be 

 found convenient for saving some choice species or vari- 



