154 



PROPAGATION OF PLANTS 



the bud, so that all the energy of the plant will be directed into the 

 bud. This kind of budding should be done in the fall or spring 



T-cleft budding. 



when the bark will peel easily and mature buds can be easily 

 procured. 



The Ring or Annular Method. In this method a ring or loop 

 of bark extending nearly around the stock is removed, and a corre- 

 sponding section containing the bud is removed from the other 

 plant and inserted in this incision in the same manner practically 

 as is done in the case of the T-cleft method. This is the usual 

 method of budding pecans and oranges and is largely used in the 

 South. By budding fine varieties of oranges on hardy seedlings 

 able to withstand cold inclement weather we may be able to grow 

 oranges in many States where formerly it would have been utterly 

 impossible. 



Propagating Plants by Grafting, or Grafts. A graft is a small 

 shoot of one tree inserted in another tree. It is so named from 

 the resemblance of the shoot to a pointed pencil. The word graft 

 itself is derived from the Greek word graphein, which means to write. 

 The young twig or branch which is inserted we call the scion, and the 

 young seedling tree in which it is placed we call the stock. The 

 scions should be cut late in the fall from firm hard wood and should 

 be packed in dry leaves or excelsior and kept in the cellar until 

 needed for use in the spring. With reference to the method of in- 

 sertion of the scion into the stock, grafting may be divided into 

 (1) cleft grafting, and (2) tongue or whip grafting. 



