46 BUDDING, GRAFTING, INARCHING, ETC. [CH. vm. 



glass, and must be in a close warm atmosphere with bottom 

 heat, and must be rooted in pure gritty silver sand. 

 Spring is the fittest time for taking cuttings. Those 

 of fruit trees and shrubs are best made as soon as the 

 leaves have fallen. The callus just then seems to form 

 quickly ; while the earth is still warm, it promotes the 

 growth of the roots. 



In preparing cuttings of bush fruits all the buds should 

 be carefully taken away, except the four at the top, which 

 will go to form the branches, otherwise the lower buds will 

 become sucker growths, and leave the tree useless. The 

 cutting should be sufficiently long, 12 or 15 inches, so as to 

 allow at least 8 inches of a stem over ground, between the 

 root and the branches. 



