OF FRUIT TREES. 43 



spring. It will be perceived, that instead of the 

 usual mode of budding, after the commencement of 

 the autumnal flow of sap, and keeping the bud 

 without shooting until the following spring, when 

 the top of the stock is cut off, this improved mode 

 gains a season in point of maturity, if not of growth, 

 and has the effect of grafting the preceding spring, 

 in all cases where the bud sprouts in proper time 

 to form a strong shoot, capable of sustaining, with- 

 out injury, the frost of the ensuing winter. 



ANOTHER METHOD OF BUDDING. 



The common method of budding fruit trees, is, 

 by cutting crosswise into the bark of the stem, and 

 making a perpendicular cut from thence down" 

 wards : the bud is then made to descend to the po- 

 sition intended for it. The reverse of this ought 

 to happen ; the perpendicular cut should rise up- 

 wards. This last method rarely fails of success. 

 The reason is derived from the fact, that the sap 

 descends by the bark, instead of rising ; whence the 

 bud, if placed above the transverse cut, receives 

 abundance of sap, which it loses, if placed below it. 

 The incision, which is to receive the bud, should 

 resemble the capital, inverted, thus, j,, and the 

 barks should be adjusted accordingly. It is assert- 

 ed by Mr. Forsyth, that whenever an incision is 

 made for budding, or grafting, the parts about the 

 incision are very liable to be affected with the 

 canker. As a preventive and curative remedy, he 

 strongly recommends, as soon as the incision is 

 made, and the bud or graft inserted, to rub in with 

 the finger or brush, some of his composition, before 

 the bass strings are tied on ; then cover the bass 

 strings all over with the composition, as thick 

 as it can be laid on with a brush ; and this, he 

 thinks, is preferable to clay. It should be ob- 

 served as a rule, not to slacken, too soon, the bass 



