288 



PEAR GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. 



root grafting. In the budding method the seedlings, without being 

 removed from the nursery row in which they are growing may have 

 inserted into them the buds of the future commercial tree. Such work 

 is usually done in the fall, August and September being the best months. 

 A 1'imited amount of budding is done during the month of June. The 

 operation is simple, results in little or no injury to the tree, and there 



fl 



FIG. 103. Budding knife, bud sticks, and the 

 operation of budding. (Recopied from Farmers 

 Bulletin 482, U. S. Department of Agriculture, by 

 G. B. Brackett.) 



is good reason to believe minimizes the amount of crown gall trouble 

 which often develops at the point of union of a graft with the seedling 

 root. Fig. 103 shows a budding knife and the method of cutting, 

 inserting and tying the bud. The latter operation is of great 

 importance, and often the failure of buds to grow is due to poor tying. 



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