102 



GRAFTAGE. 



safety. A dormant bud, as it appears in the winter follow- 

 ing the budding, is shown in Fig. 93. This bud was inserted 

 in August, 1895 ; the picture was made in 

 March, 1896 ; the bud should have started 

 to grow in May, 1896. 



The spring following the budding, the 

 stock should be cut off just above the bud, 

 in order to throw the entire force of the 

 plant into the bud. The stock is gener- 

 ally, and preferably, cut off twice. The 

 first cutting leaves the stub 4 or 5 inches 

 long above the bud. This cutting is made 

 as soon as the stocks begin to show any 

 signs of activity. Two weeks later, or 

 when the bud has begun to grow (the 

 shoot having reached the length of an inch 

 or two), the stock is again cut off a half- 



<& inch above the 



/ jftfr \gj^. bud ( Fi g- 94)- 

 A greater pro- 

 portion of buds will usually 

 grow if this double heading- 

 in is done, in outdoor condi- 

 tions, than if the stock is cut back to the 

 bud at the first operation. If the root is 

 strong and the soil good, the bud will grow 

 2 to 6 feet the first year, depending much 

 upon the species. All sprouts should be 

 kept rubbed off the stock, and the bud 

 should be trained to a single stem. In 

 some weak and crooked growers, the new 

 shoot must be tied, and some propagators 

 94. Cutting off the m su ch cases cut off the stock 5 or 6 

 stock (*.%)' inches above the bud and let it serve as a 

 stake to which to tie ; but this operation is too expensive 

 to be employed on common fruit trees. The stock, of 

 course, must not be allowed to grow. Late in the season 



