24 THE HUT CULTUEIST. 



posed to be of the same origin, and descendants of one 

 original species ; consequently there is a close relation- 

 ship between the varieties of both sections, and their 

 seedlings may be employed indiscriminately for stocks. 

 The next nearest relatives in the family line are the 

 plums (Prunus), some of which answer very well as 

 stocks for the almond, although very rarely used for 



FIG. 2. BUDDING KNIFE. 



this purpose. The next group in the line of botanical 

 relationship are the cherries (Primus cerasus), "but these 

 are too far removed to be employed as stocks for either 

 the peach or almond. 



For budding are necessary a small knife for prepar- 

 ing the buds for insertion and making an incision in the 

 bark of the stock to admit them ; and a quantity of 

 some material to tie around the stock, so as to hold the 



FIG. 3. YANKEE BUDDING KNIFE. 



bud in place. Budding knives are made after various 

 patterns ; one that is commonly used has an ivory or 

 bone handle, made very thin at the end, that is used to 

 peel the bark from the stock where the bud is to be in- 

 serted (Fig. 2). Another form of budding knife is made 

 with a horn handle, and a small tapering piece of ivory 

 fastened in the end. These knives, of various shapes 

 and sizes, can be had at the seed stores ; but another and 

 quite a different form of budding knife is shown in Fig. 

 3, and is known as the "Yankee budding knife." It is 



