38 NEW AMERICAN ORCHARDIST. 



on small trees, and only during the time when the sap flows 

 freely, and chiefly during the months of August and Sep- 

 tember. 



Select for the buds the ripest young twigs of the year, 

 and cut off the leaves, leaving the foot stalk entire. Having 

 selected a smooth place in the stock, make a perpendicular 

 slit downward quite through the bark, an inch or a little 

 more in length. Make a cross cut at the top of this slit,, 

 quite through to the wood, a little slanting downwards ; next, 

 with the ivory haft of the knife, raise the bark on both 

 sides, from top to bottom, being very careful not to injure in 

 the least the cambium or sap-wood. Next, and with expe- 

 dition, proceed to take off a bud ; this is effected by entering 

 the knife half an inch or more below the bud or eye, quite 

 through the bark, and separating the bark from the wood to 

 the same distance above the eye ; always leaving a very thin 

 slip of wood, of about one third of the length of the bud ; 

 this thin slip of wood occupies the middle section of its 

 length. The bud is to be immediately inserted in the 

 stock to the bottom of the slit, and between the bark and 

 the wood ; and the top of the bud being squared even with 

 the cross cut, every part, except the eye, is firmly bound 

 and covered with strong wet bass matting. 



It is by no means a point so very essential, whether the 

 cross cut is made at the top or bottom of the slit ; whether 

 the bud is inserted downwards or upwards; it generally 

 succeeds equally in both cases. The mode of taking off 

 the bud with a thin slip of wood occupying the middle sec- 

 tion of its length, is called the new or American mode ; as 

 I find it described by no European author. It is the mode 

 best adapted to a warm climate. But when the season is 

 far advanced, and the sap flows less freely, it is deemed the 

 surest mode to take out the whole of the wood, always leav- 

 ing the root of the bud. 



The string is to be taken off as soon as it begins to gir- 

 dle the tree, which is generally in about ten days. 



In spring, after the frost is out of the ground, and as 

 soon as the buds begin to swell, cut off the stock a quarter 

 of an inch above the bud, sloping downwards on the 

 opposite side. 



SCALLOP BUDDING is performed by cutting, from a small 

 stock, a thin, narrow scallop of wood, about an inch in 

 length; and taking from a twig a thin scallop of wood, of 



