STRIPPING THE SEEDLINGS 



59 



makes of knives on the market, but any one of the three 

 shown in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 24) will answer. 

 A and B are the common ones while C, an imported one, 

 may be used for both budding and grafting. For the wrap- 

 ping, two different materials are available; a soft cotton 



FIG. 25. Peach Seedlings, the Right Size for Stripping. 



string and raffia. The latter is a fiber from one of the 

 fan palms and makes a very desirable tie. The strands 

 are thin and flat, making it easy to cover the bud. 



Stripping the Seedlings. The first process in the 

 actual work of budding is to " strip " the young seed- 

 lings. This is done by removing the leaves from the 

 first three or four inches next to the ground, about the time 



