130 



Oranges and Lemons of India. 



activity in the juices of the trees. Then the bark can 

 easily be separated for the purpose of budding. The 

 best thickness of the stock is that of a thick pencil up 

 to half an inch in diameter. This thickness, under 

 favourable conditions, will be attained in about two 

 years. The best knife for this purpose is what is 

 called a budding-knife, procurable from any hardware 

 merchant. Its ivory handle has a fine edge, by which 

 the bark can be lifted, without cutting or injuring 

 it. Any handy mistry might, however, imitate these 

 budding-knives, and the handle can be made of any 

 hard and polished wood. The great advantage of 

 budding is that, if stock is at hand, cuttings suited to 

 budding might be obtained by post from a distance, 

 and each bud carefully detached and inserted on th( 

 stock ; so that in one season hundreds of any desired 

 variety might be raised. Most native gardeners can 

 bud plants, and, if not, they can be easily taught to 

 do it. The operation is done as follows : Stock ol 

 the right size is selected, and the lower thin branches 

 are shaved off with a clean cut close to the stem. 

 Then a clean piece of stem of the tree to be budded 

 is selected, with good plump buds, at the angle of th< 

 leaves, and free from spines. Half an inch of each 

 leaf -stalk is to be left attached to the stem. It forms a 

 convenient handle to lift the bud-shield by (chasma). 

 The most convenient way of detaching the shield ii 

 this : Make a sufficiently long cross cut through t/ 

 bark a quarter of an inch above the bud, and a similar 

 cut at the same distance below the bud. Unite the 

 two on the left side by a longitudinal cut at the sam< 

 distance from the bud, and, finally, make a similar cui 

 on the right side ; detach and lift the shield by th< 

 edge of the knife, and tilt it into a cup containing 

 little clean water. In this way detach all the buds yoi 



