190 



AGRONOMY 



of others. All of our superior fruits and many of our nut 

 trees are budded or grafted upon other stock because their 

 characters are not fixed in the seed. Having one good plant, 

 however, we may make as many others as we choose by bud- 

 ding. In this process it makes no difference if the fruits pro- 

 duced by the stock are worthless. The bud will form a new 

 crown that will produce fruits like the plant from which it 

 was taken. In growing the stocks, therefore, 

 seeds from any source may be sown. The 

 plants are budded when one or two years 

 old, and thereafter have all the character- 

 istics of the superior strain. Usually only 

 closely related forms can be budded success- 

 fully. The plants most frequently treated in 

 this way are the stone fruits, nut trees, and 

 some of the citrous fruits. Budding is per- 

 formed in late June, July, August, and early 

 September. 



Method of budding. In the common form 

 of budding a T-shaped cut is made in the 

 bark of the stock, the upper edges of the cut 

 are carefully turned back, and a new bud 

 with more or less bark attached is inserted, 

 after which the bark of the stock is pressed 

 into place and tied for a week or more until 

 the bud has grown fast. The cut in the stock 

 should go halfway around the twig or stem, and the cut at 

 right angles to it should be about an inch and a half long. 

 Both should extend inward as far as the new wood. The 

 bud should be selected from a vigorous and healthy plant, 

 and removed with an upward cut of a sharp knife, beginning 

 a quarter of an inch below the bud and ending the same dis- 

 tance above it. The cut should be made just deep enough to 

 remove a thin shaving of the new wood, which may afterwards 



FIG. 130. A twig 



with buds removed 



for budding 



