NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 71 



another, budding is the insertion of a bud of the current 

 season into the bark of a tree which is intended to be 

 budded. Budding is more suitable for most of the stone 

 fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, and apricots, than grafting. 

 The time when budding is most successfully performed is 

 when the young shoots, from which the buds are intended 

 to be taken, have all but perfected their growth, and which 

 will generally be from the beginning to the end of February, 

 and when the buds on the lower part have become firm and 

 set. With a sharp knife cut out a bud from the shoot, 

 having about half-an-inch of bark both above and below it: 

 this is called a shield (and is the most general method 

 adopted). Then dextrously pick out the piece of wood which 

 is found in the shield, leaving nothing but the bark and the 

 axis of the bud. Should the axis of the bud be removed in 

 the act of taking out the wood, the bud will be valueless 

 and another should be taken. (If there is a deep hollow 

 behind the eye when the bit of wood has been removed, 

 then the axis has been destroyed. Some gardeners say, how- 

 ever, that it is not necessary to remove this bit of waste wood.) 

 In removing this bit of wood care must be taken to draw it 

 upwards, if drawn downwards the axis of the bud will 

 probably be destroyed. The bud is now ready for insertion. 

 Having fixed upon the spot where the bud is to be inserted 

 in the stock or tree, make a transverse cut and a perpen- 

 dicular one up to it. Cut as deep as the wood ; these two 

 cuts will make a figure like the letter T. Then with the 

 bone end of your budding-knife raise the bark on each side 

 of the perpendicular cut, and slip in the shield ; then make 

 a clean cut across the top of the shield where it joins the 

 upper edge of the bark of the stalk, the two barks thus 

 united will allow the descending sap to flow into the shield. 

 The shield or bud must not be allowed to get dry before in- 

 serting it into its berth. Bind round with a piece of soft 

 matting. In the course of three weeks they should be seen 

 to, when, if much swollen the matting should be unbound, 

 and again tied a little more loosely for a month longer, and 

 afterwards entirely removed. Insert the bud if possible on 

 the shady side of the stem. Buds usually remain dormant 

 till the following Spring ; at this period the stock should be 

 cut three or four inches above the bud ; and the shoot, as it 



