120 ESSAY ON THE APPLE. 



apart, and three feet between the rows. The following autumn, we 

 generally bud all these within three inches of the ground. This is 

 usually done in September, and generally succeeds best when per- 

 formed in cloudy weather, or in the morning or evening ; for the 

 great power of the mid-day sun is apt to dry and shrink the cuttings 

 and buds. 



Budding. In selecting buds they should be taken from well ripen- 

 ed shoots, and not from immature ones that frequently start from, 

 and nearthe centre of the tree. Cut off the unripe buds upon the 

 extreme end of the shoot, leaving only those that are smooth and 

 well developed ; and also the leaves, leaving about one half of the 

 leaf stem, for the convenience of inserting the buds. Then take 

 strands of bass, or Russia matting, soaked in water to render it pli?i- 

 ble ; make an upright incision with a sharp knife in the bark, of one 

 and a half inches long, and at the top of this, a cross cut which 

 will form a T ; take off a bud from your scion with a portion of 

 the wood attached, raise the bark upon your tree with a smooth piece 

 of bone, ivory or hard wood, inserting the bud, and then tie the strip 

 of matting firmly across the top and bottom of the bud. In about 

 three weeks after these are budded you will see whether they are ta- 

 ken by their plumpness. If they are shrivelled, you can then ordi- 

 narily re-bud, as the bark in young and thrifty seedlings will usually 

 peel through the month of September and often into October. If 

 the buds are well united and the tree has swelled or the ligature 

 seems to be cutting the stock, it must be removed. When the bud- 

 ding has been performed late, we occasionally let the bandage remain 

 until the following spring. 



Cutting the Stock. In the ensuing spring as soon as the buds com- 

 mence swelling, we head down the stock with a sloping cut within two 

 inches of the bud ; if the tree makes a strong growth during the 

 early part of the season we then on the last of July or first of Au- 

 gust cut off the remaining wood close to the budded shoot. We in 

 common with nearly all cultivators bud all nursery trees in prefer- 

 ence, considering it better in every respect, producing a much stron- 

 ger growth. 



In budding, great care should be taken in raising the bark for the 

 insertion of the bud, that the camhrium be not injured, this camhri- 

 um is a secretion between the wood and bark. 



Side shoots 7iot to be removed. With young trees it has been the 



