1366 



GRAFTING 



GRAFTING 



plants. In all budding practices, it is important to keep 

 down the suckers from the stock. 



In the South, a peach tree may be large enough in 

 June, if the seeds are planted in February or March, to 

 be budded. The bud will grow the same year, and by 



1681. Rectangular patch-budding. 



autumn will make a salable tree. This operation of bud- 

 ding in early summer on stocks which grow that year is 

 known as June-budding. As a rule, June-budded trees 

 are smaller than fall-budded trees; but they can be 

 secured one year sooner. 



Other forms of budding. 



There are many ways of shaping the bud. These 

 modes may have distinct advantage in certain plants, 

 because of the way in which the bark holds its shape, 

 of the relation to the drying out of the parts, and 

 otherwise. 



The rectangular-patch method is illustrated by Shar- 

 rock (d, g, m, Fig. 1673). It is recently described by 

 Oliver as one of the successful methods of propagating 

 the mango. (Bulletin No. 46, Bur. 

 PI. Ind., U. S. Dept. Agric.): "The 

 only departure from Sharrock's 

 method of budding as used in the 

 case of the mango at the present time 

 is that the bud, instead of being taken 

 from new growth, must be selected 

 from wood old enough 

 to have lost its foli- 

 age. This means that 

 the bud -wood will 

 sometimes be over 

 two years old. The 

 use of bark of this 

 age and even older 

 insures success in 

 budding the mango, 

 as it unites rapidly 

 with bark of a similar age on 

 seedling stocks or on branches 

 of trees. To a certain extent 

 success depends upon the pre- 

 cision with which the section 

 of bark is removed from the 

 stock and also from the variety 

 to be propagated, as the more 

 neatly the bud section is fitted 

 into the space prepared for it 

 the greater the probability of a 

 successful union (Fig. 1681). 

 1682. The rectangular After the section of bark from 

 patch-bud growing. the bud-stick is nicely fitted in 



place, and before tying, a small quantity of grafting- 

 wax should be smeared over the parts where they come 

 together and tied firmly in place with thick strands of 

 raffia. This effectually prevents the admission of air 

 to the spaces which, no matter how carefully the 

 operation be performed, exist between stock and cion; 

 it also serves to prevent moisture from gaining access 

 to the cut surfaces. The cut surfaces and all but the 

 bud should then be covered 

 with strips of cloth dipped in 

 melted paraffin, wrapping be- 

 ing begun at the lower part, 

 so that when finished water 

 will not gain entrance to the 

 wrapped section of bark. If 

 that part of the stock where 

 the bud is tied be exposed to 

 the sun, it is always advisable 

 to furnish shade which is best 

 supplied by strips of paper 

 tied above the bud and extend- 

 ing down over it. Two weeks 

 may be allowed to pass before 

 an examination is made. The 

 cloth wrappings may then be 

 removed and the raffia should 

 be loosened if there is danger of 

 its cutting into the bark. When 

 a sufficient time has elapsed to 



1683. Spade-budding. 



make certain that a union has taken place, part of the 

 top of the stock should be removed in order to encour- 

 age the bud to start. This it will do with very little 

 coaxing. When sufficient growth has been made, all 

 of the stock above the bud may be removed and the 

 cut part coated with liquid grafting -wax or tar to 

 exclude moisture and prevent rotting." Fig. 1682 

 shows the successful growth of the patch-bud. 



The spade-shaped bud, shown in Fig. 1683, has been 

 employed with the mango and other plants. The 

 pointed end makes it possible, according to Oliver, 

 "to push the bark of the cion down tight against the 

 bark of the stock; the top part is then cut off square 

 with the transverse cut in the bark of the stock, and is 

 pressed firmly into position previous to tying and wax- 

 ing in the usual way." These two forms of budding are 

 given here only for the purpose of illustrating inter- 

 esting methods, and not necessarily to advise their use. 



Improved methods of budding the pecan have been 

 developed in Texas by 

 Charles L. Edwards. He 

 prefers spring-set buds, as 

 they have the whole grow- 

 ing season before them and 

 make salable trees by au- 

 tumn. The summer -bud 

 makes only a start before 

 autumn, at best; most of 

 them remain dormant till 

 spring, and not a few dry 

 out and perish. One method 

 is shown in Figs. 1684, 1685. 

 The stocks are cut off bodily, 

 and straight across. A slit 

 is then made in the bark at 

 the top (A), and the bark 

 opened to receive the bud. 

 The buds are cut like shield- 

 buds for peaches and plums 

 (B, front and back views), 

 but in addition, the bark 

 is cut away from the lower 

 end of the bud (C), reduc- 

 ing it to a point so it will 



slip into place easily (D) . By 1684 crown-budding the 

 removing the thick rim of pecan; 1685 (below), the 

 bark from the lower end of bud wrapped and tied. 



