^ CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



the trees into better varieties. Besides, many of the imported 

 varieties have proved disappointing and a change to a variety 

 profitable in the region is imperative. The method of budding 

 commonly employed with fruit trees does not usually yield a high 

 percentage of success with the olive, but shield-budding in the old 

 bark, as described in Chapter XXX, gives good results. 



Budding may be performed at any time of the year when the 

 sap flows freely. If done late in the summer, the buds lie dormant 

 through the winter. Best results are obtained when the buds are 

 inserted early in the spring, as the operation can be performed to 

 a much better advantage, and the buds will grow to some height 

 before winter. When inserted in limbs of large trees, the shoots 

 from the inserted buds are allowed to grow until they have attained 

 such a size as will justify in the removal of the entire top. 



Twig Budding. Twig budding is very successful. The bud is 

 cut deep into the wood, in order to give the bud as much bark as 



Olive: Twig-Bud as cut Olive: Twig-Bud Inserted. 



possible. The leaves are partly cut off; then, with a sharp point 

 of the budding knife, the greater part of the wood inside of the bud 

 is removed, as shown in the picture. If part of the wood is not 

 removed, then the bud can not take, as the wood in it prevents the 

 two barks (the inner bark of the bud and the inner bark of the 

 stock) from uniting. When the wood has been partly removed from 

 the bud, the bud is inserted into the stock, as budding is done in 

 the regular, ordinary way, and tied tight. A small tip-twig may be 

 used or a longer twig, cut back to the lowest bud and part of the 

 foliage cut away, as shown in the engraving. At the end of three 

 or four weeks the string is removed, and part of the top of the stock 

 is cut back to force the bud to start. As the bud grows, the foliage 

 of the stock is gradually removed, until the bud is able to take up 

 the entire flow of sap; it is then left to grow, and it may be pro- 

 tected by tying to a long stub of the branch which may be left for 

 that purpose above the point of insertion. When the bud has grown 



