FRUIT-GARDENING. 19 



wood, instead of subterranean fibres. The success of such 

 practices, however, depends upon other causes than those 

 which influence the growth of cuttings. It is necessary that 

 an adhesion should take place between the scion and the stock, 

 so that when the descending fibres of the buds shall have 

 fixed themselves upon the wood of the stock, they may not be 

 liable to subsequent separation. No one can have studied the 

 economy of the vegetable kingdom, without having remarked 

 that there is a strong tendency to cohesion in bodies or parts 

 that are placed in contact with each other. 



To bud trees, let the following method be adopted : Pro- 

 cure a knife which has a thin blade ; the use of the blade is to 

 prepare the buds, and the handle is used to raise the bark of 

 the stocks, so that the buds can be easily inserted. Have 

 some good strong bass in readiness, and then take some good 

 thrifty sprigs from healthy trees of the sorts you intend to 

 propagate. When all is ready, make a cut in the bark of the 

 stock transversely, and from the middle of this cut make 

 another downward, at least two inches in length, so that the 

 two cuts may be in the form of a T ; then from one of your sprigs 

 proceed with expedition to take off a bud. This is effected as 

 follows : Insert the knife a little more than half an inch below 

 the bud or eye, force it into the wood, drawing it under the 

 bud, and cut the piece off across the shoot ; then immediately 

 let that part of the wood which was cut off with the bud be 

 separated from it, which may be readily done with the knife, 

 by placing the point of it b'etween the bark and wood at one 

 end, and, holding the bark in one hand, pull off the woody 

 part with the other, which will readily come from the bark if 

 the tree from which it was taken be in a vigorous condition. 

 Examine the bark, so as to be satisfied that the bud remains 

 perfect ; if there is no hole in it, let it be immediately inserted 

 into the stock, which is done by raising with the handle of 

 your knife the bark of the stock downward on each side from 

 the crosscut, and thrusting the bud in between the bark and 

 the wood, applying it as close as possible. As soon as the bud 



