20 PROPAGATION. 



circumstances. In grafting, we use a branch, composed of seve- 

 ral buds with a considerable quantity of bark and wood ; while 

 in budding, we employ but a single bud, with a very small quan- 

 tity of the adjoining bark and wood. 



The advantages of budding fruit trees, compared with grafting, 

 are so considerable, that in this country it is ten times as much 

 practised. These are, first, the great rapidity with which it is 

 performed ; a skilful budder, with a clever boy following him to 

 tie the buds, being able to work from a thousand to twelve hundred 

 young nursery stocks in a day. 2d. The more convenient sea- 

 son at which it is performed, in all countries where a short spring 

 crowds garden labours within a small space. 3d. Being able to 

 perform the operation without injuring the stock in case of failure, 

 which is always more or less the case in stocks headed down for 

 grafting. 4th. The opportunity which it affords, when performed 

 in good season^ of repeating the trial on the same stock. To 

 these we may add that budding is universally preferred here 

 for all stone fruits, such as Peaches, Apricots, and the like, as 

 these require extra skill in grafting, but are budded with great 

 ease. 



The proper season for budding fruit trees in this country is 

 from the first of July to the middle of September ; the different 

 trees coming into season as follows ; Plums, Cherries, Apri- 

 cots on Plums, Apricots, Pears, Apples, Quinces, Nectarines 

 and Peaches. Trees of considerable size will require budding 

 earlier than young seedling stocks. But the opera- 

 tion is always, and only, performed when the bark of 

 the stock parts or separates freely from the wood, 

 and when the buds of the current year's growth are 

 somewhat plump, and the young wood is growing 

 firm. Young stocks in the nursery, if thrifty, are 

 usually planted out in the rows in the spring, and 

 budded the same summer or autumn. 



Before commencing you should provide yourself 

 with a budding knife, Fig. 7, (about four and a half 

 inches long,) having a rounded blade at one end, and 

 an ivory handle terminating in a thin rounded edge 

 called the haft, a, at the other. 



In choosing your buds, select thrifty shoots that 

 have nearly done growing, and prepare what is 

 called a stick of buds, Fig. 8, by cutting off a few of 

 the imperfect buds at the lower, and such as may be 

 yet too soft at the upper ends, leaving only smooth 

 well developed single buds ; double buds being fruit- 

 buds. Cut off the leaves, allowing about half an 

 inch of the foot-stalks to remain for conveniently 

 inserting the buds. Some strands of bass-matting 

 about twelve or fourteen inches long, previously 



