io BEGINNERS' GUIDE TO FRUIT GROWING 



The cions are cut as "budding sticks" from relia- 

 ble fruiting trees of the variety which is to be repro- 

 duced. A budding stick is a shoot of the current 

 year's growth, usually 12 to 18 inches in length, and 

 having at the base the diameter of a small lead 

 pencil. From this the blades of the leaves are 



FIG. 7 POCKET BUDDING KNIFE 



clipped immediately when the stick is taken from 

 the parent tree. The petioles or stems of the leaves 

 are left, however, and serve a very useful purpose 

 in setting the buds. (See Figure 6.) 



The operator should be supplied with a regular 

 budding knife ( Figure 7 or 8) . Kneeling beside the row 

 of stocks, he begins by cutting a T-shaped incision 

 through the bark of the stock, preferably on the 

 shady north side, and as near the surface of the 



FIG. 8 RIGID BUDDING KNIFE 



ground as he can conveniently work. The two lips 

 of this incision should peel up smoothly from the 

 wood beneath, so as to allow the easy insertion of 

 the bud. The cion consists of a single bud cut 

 shield-shape, as shown in Figure 9. This little 

 shield is slipped downward in the opening made by 

 the peeled-up bark on the stock, and is then tied 

 in place with a soft strip of raffia. The tying is 

 usually done by a boy or other laborer whose time 

 is cheaper than that of a good budder. 



