PROPAGATING APPLE-TREES. 43 



have a thin and narrow blade with a keen edge. A rough- 

 edged razor is no more certain to make a painful shave 

 than a rough-edged budding-knife is to make an unsuccess- 

 ful bud. It requires a good knife, a steady hand, and con- 

 siderable practice to cut off buds handsomely, well, and 

 quick. As to taking out the particle of wood attached to 

 the bud, it matters little, if the cut be good and not too 

 deep. In taking out the wood, great care is necessary to 

 avoid taking the root of the bud with it. Then, when the 

 bud is in its place, it must be well tied up. Nice, smooth, 

 soft strips of corn-husks applied wet, like narrow ribbons, 

 are the best and most convenient in common use. Every 

 part of the cut must be wrapped so firm as to exclude air 

 completely ; and this should be done as quickly as possible, 

 as the air soon blackens the inner surface of the bark, and 

 prevents the perfect union of the new parts that are placed 

 in contact. 



Different Styles of Budding. -There are in vogue three 

 styles of budding, all of which are substantially the same. 

 The difference will be perceived by the following illustra- 

 tions (Fig. 29, p. 44), each of which will give the beginner 

 so much of an insight into the process of inoculation, that 

 even young boys and girls may bud rose-bushes or young 

 fruit-trees with satisfactory success. The ordinary process 

 of budding, denominated Shield-budding or T-budding, is 

 represented by the accompanying designs, of which a is the 

 representation of the stock, and b is the bud. The follow- 

 ing will furnish a correct idea of the manual operation : 

 After selecting a smooth place on the stock, a, make a cut 

 with a sharp, round-pointed knife, in the form of the letter 

 T, about one inch long. Be careful, when cutting, to press 

 the edge of the blade only through the bark into the semi- 

 fluid cambium, and not into the wood of the stock. Now 

 lift the corners of the bark with the knife ; then cut a bud, 



