THE HEART OF THE YEAR 



was dry, he would do well to give the plants from which 

 he intended to take buds a good soaking of water. 



As regards stocks for working the buds on to, they 

 must consist of standard Briers dug out of the hedge- 

 rows in autumn, or dwarf Briers two or three years old, 

 raised from seed or cuttings. In the first case the 

 buds should be inserted in the side shoots which break 

 from the upper part of the standards in late spring, and 

 which may be two feet long by midsummer. The cuts 

 to receive the buds should 

 be made near the base of the 

 shoots, and should consist 

 of one cross and one longi- 

 tudinal cut, the latter being 

 about two inches long, and 

 coming up to the centre of 

 the former. The edges of 

 the bark can be raised to 

 receive the bud with the flat 

 polished handle of the bud- 

 ding knife. When the bud 

 has been slipped down, it 

 can be tied in with worsted 

 or raphia. It should be 

 made firm, but not bound 

 very tightly. In the case of 

 dwarf stocks, one bud can 

 be put in the main stem 

 just beneath the soil. 



The necessaries for budding Roses may be sum- 

 marised as follows : (i) a supply of stocks, either raised 

 by propagating or transplanted from the hedgerows ; 

 (2) a supply of shoots of the current year's growth to 

 yield buds ; (3) a flat-handled, pohshed budding knife ; 

 285 



July 

 16-31 



Fig. si. 



-Budding Standard 

 Roses. 



Where to insert the buds. 

 The bud secured by strands of 

 soft material, c. 



