314 



THE CA NA DIA N HOR TICUL TURIST. 



sticks" may be sent a thousand miles by 

 mail or express. This is a great conveni- 

 ence in the way of obtaining promising new 

 fruits for trial. 



The knife specially made for budding is 

 most suitable, but one who has had some ex- 

 perience will succeed with other knives — a 

 first rate " Barlow " has done good work. 

 It should have a thin blade, a very keen edge 

 and a half-rounding point. And it should 

 be used for no other purpose than budding. 

 An ordinary knife must be at hand also, to 

 be used in any trimming of the young tree 

 that may be required. 



The budding may be done in the branches 

 of a large tree if desired ; but in the case of 

 a young peach tree (or a young tree of any 



Fig. 2633. 

 kind) it is best done within two or three 

 inches of the ground. A smooth place in 

 the tree, or branch — the " stock," as it is 

 called — is selected to receive the bud ; and if 

 any leaves or young shoots are in the way 

 they are to be rem.oved ; and the dirt is to be 

 wiped off with a rag, so that nothing will in- 

 terfere. An upright incision, about an 

 inch in length, is made, with the rounded 

 point of the budding knife, just through the 

 bark, holding the knife in the fingers about 

 as a lead pencil is held ; then a short cross 

 incision is made at the upper end of the first 

 one, as at & in Fig. 2633. 



Now comes the raising of the bark, which 

 is a very particular operation, for it must be 

 done without touching the soft layer of new 

 wood under the bark. If the soft, new 

 wood is touched a wound is made, and while 

 this wound is healing the bud which is put 

 in perishes, instead of growing fast to the 

 stock. The raising of the bark must be 

 done gently, beginning at the upper end of 

 the incision. This is done with the thin 

 piece of bone at the end of the handle of the 

 knife, pressing on the cut edges of the in- 

 cision and lifting slightly on both sides and 

 the whole length of the incision. - In the 

 absence of the regular budding knife, a thin, 

 smooth piece of wood may take the place of 

 the piece of ivory, but the expert budder re- 

 quires neither, as he uses the rounding point 

 of the budding knife — and saves time. Fig. 

 2633 at c shows the incision made and the 

 bark raised, ready for the bud. 



A bud is now to be cut from the prepared 

 scion, which is held in the left hand with the 

 lower end extending outward. The knife 

 is made to enter about half an inch below 

 one of the buds and is drawn toward the 

 operator, nearly horizontally so as to make a 

 thin slice of the wood along with the bud, 

 and coming out about three- fourths of- an 

 inch above the bud. Fig d represents the 

 bud ready for insertion. (The piece of 

 footstalk of leaf is not quite long enough for 

 convenience in holding). Some take out 

 the thin slice of wood, but this is unneces- 

 sary, and sometimes injurious. 



The bud is taken hold of by the footstalk 

 left for the purpose, and inserted under the 

 raised bark, beginning at the upper end of 

 the incision and pushing it down gently to 

 the lower end. In case a portion of the 

 bud extends above the cross incision, it is to 

 be cut off so as to make a good fit, accord- 

 ing to e in Fig. 2633. 



Tying is done at once, in order to exclude 

 air and moisture and assist the healing pro- 

 cess which is to unite the incision, using 



