GRAFTA GE. 



75 



Fig. 67. Budder at work. 



common practice to rest upon one knee while budding, as shown 

 in Fig. 67, but some prefer to use a low stool. The tying is 



usually done by a boy, 

 who should follow close 

 behind the budder in 

 order that the buds 

 shall not dry out. An 

 expert budder will set 

 = from i, ooo to 3,000 buds 

 a day, in good stock, and 

 \ with a boy (or two of 

 them for the latter 

 speed) to tie. Peach 

 stocks are more rapidly 



budded than most others, as the bark is firm and slips easily, and 

 some remarkable records are made by skillful workmen. 



Budding is sometimes employed the same as top-grafting for 

 changing over the top of an old tree from one variety to another. 

 The buds cannot be easily inserted in very old and stiff bark, but 

 in all smooth and fresh bark they work readily. Sometimes old 

 trees are severely pruned the year before the budding is to be 

 done, in order to obtain young shoots in which to set the buds. 

 In fruit-trees six or seven years old or less, budding is fully as 

 advantageous as grafting. New varieties are also budded into 

 old branches in order to hasten bearing for the purpose of test- 

 ing the variety. Here budding has a distinct advantage over 

 grafting, as it uses fewer buds, and the wood of new sorts is 

 often scarce. 



FLUTE-BUDDING. An occasional method of budding is that 

 known under the general name of flute-budding. In this 

 method the bud is not covered by the bark of the stock as in 

 shield-budding. Fig. 68 illustrates it A portion of bark is re- 

 moved entirely from the stock, and a similar piece is fitted into 

 its place. When the wound extends only part way about the 

 stem, as in the illustration, the operation is sometimes known as 

 veneer-budding. When it extends entirely around the stem it is 

 called ring or annular-budding. Flute-budding is usually per- 



