268 



BUDDING OR GRAFTING BY DETACHED BUDS. 



a bud, Z>, is then cut out, and the wood is removed from the slice by 

 the point of the knife. This is done by holding the shield by the 

 remains of the leaf with one hand, and entering the point of the knife 

 at the tinder extremity of the shield, and between it and the thumb ; 



Fig. 235. 



The different steps in the process of shield-budding. 



and then raising and drawing out the wood by a double motion 

 outwards from the bark, and upwards from the lower to the upper 

 extremity of the shield. The bud being now prepared, as at c, the 

 bark on each side of the slit in the stock is raised up by the spatula 

 end of the budding-knife, and the shield inserted beneath it ; its 

 upper part being cut straight across, as at c?, to admit of its joining 

 accurately with the inner bark of the stock, as at e, so as to receive 

 its descending sap. A bandage of soft matting is now applied, so as 

 to exclude the air from the wounded parts, and to show only the bud 

 and the petiole, as at /, and the operation is complete. At /, the bud 

 is shown developing its leaves, and at g it has produced a shoot of 

 some length, which is tied for a short time to the upper part of the 

 stock ; but that part of the latter which is shown by dotted lines is cut 

 off in July. 



The size of the shield or piece of bark attached to the bud is 

 not a matter of very great importance ; it is generally however 

 from an inch to an inch and a half in length, and the eye should be 

 situated about a third from the top. Spines, prickles, and leaves should 

 be carefully cut off and shortened. Sometimes in taking out the splinter 

 of wood from the scion, which is done with a quick, jerking motion, 

 the base of the bud which is woody is torn out also, leaving a small 

 cavity, instead of an even surface ; the surface, when the bud is in a 

 proper state, being either quite even, or only gently raised above the 

 surrounding bark, in consequence of the woody base of the bud being 

 left in. When the woody base of the bud has been torn out, so as to 

 leave a cavity, it is safest not to use the bud, but to prepare another ; 

 though when the cavity left is not very deep, and a small portion of 

 wood is seen in it, the bud will sometimes grow. Only those buds 



