THE GARDEN WEEK BY WEEK 



July (4) some tying material. The order of the operations 

 ^^31 may be summarised thus : (i) remove some strong, clean 

 shoots of the current year's growth after showery 

 weather between mid-July and mid-August ; (2) remove 

 the leaves, but allow half an inch of each stalk to remain, 

 as it will form a handle ; (3) take out a slice about two 

 inches long, and about a sixteenth of an inch deep, 

 beneath the leaf-stalk, with a sharp knife ; (4) holding 

 the slice by the leaf-stalk, pull out the pith without 

 tearing away the little green knot in the centre ; (5) in- 

 stantly slip the bud down between the raised edges of 

 a longitudinal cut in the stock ; (6) tie it in. If the buds 

 are inserted in June, they often make a great deal of 

 growth the same year, and the plants may even bloom 

 the same summer ; but if put in later they do not grow 

 until the following spring, and this is quite as well. 



Amateurs who fail with their first year's buds (and it 

 is common to have a good many failures in early at- 

 tempts at budding, for after all the operation is a some- 

 what delicate one) should pay particular attention to 

 three points the following year : (i) that there is free 

 growth both in Rose and stock when the work is started ; 

 (2) that the green knot is left in the bud when the pith 

 is pulled out; (3) that the bud is kept fresh. If these 

 matters are right, success will come. In the large Rose 

 nurseries, labouring men with rough horny hands do 

 the budding, and make few mistakes. They cultivate 

 long finger-nails during budding time, on the ground 

 that they can get hold of the pith better than they can 

 when their nails are pared close ! Perhaps the amateur 

 may try this also. 



Propagating Carnatiotts and Pinks. — Whether the 

 Carnation grower cultivates his plants under names or 

 not (if he is an enthusiast he generally keeps his varieties 

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