170 PROPAGATION BY BUDDING. 



particle of wood. I will endeavour to simplify 

 this matter. Take a rose shoot with its buds, cut 

 off its leaves, leaving the footstalks about an inch 

 in length, and then cut off a very thin slice of 

 bark, about one inch in length, which should have 

 the bud in the centre ; this slice of bark will have, 

 if cut thinly enough, a layer of the wood about 

 the thickness of thin writing paper ; this need not 

 be removed, but the bud may be inserted at once 

 by commencing at the transverse cut and thrust- 

 ing it down gently. When the bud is inserted, 

 cut off with your knife (which should be very 

 sharp) a piece from the upper part of the plate, 

 i.e. the piece of bark with the bud attached, so 

 that it fits closely to the transverse cut at top ; 

 then bind it up firmly, but leave the bud peep- 

 ing out, with cotton twist, such as the tallow- 

 chandlers use for the wicks of candles; the 

 finest quality is best: this is the most eli- 

 gible binding known, and far preferable to mat- 

 ting or worsted. Budding may be commenced in 

 June, and performed as late as the second week 

 in September; if done in June, the only shoots 

 fit to take buds from are those that have shed 

 their flowers : on these alone the buds are mature. 

 I have occasionally known budding to succeed in 

 October, but after August it is at the best uncer- 

 tain, as the success of the operation entirely de- 

 pends upon the state of the weather. I must, 

 however, except the Manetti stock, which may be 



