152 



buist's family kitchen gardener. 



while the latter requires food for which they do not pay. There 

 is no garden or farm but should have a few reserve Plum. 

 Pear, Apple, Peach, Cherry and Quince stocks, on which they 

 can place any sort of fruit they wish to preserve and multiply. 

 These can be readily procured by sowing a few seeds, or plant- 

 ing a few pits, every year. Stone fruit, such as the Cherry, 

 Peach and Plum, do best by budding. Apples and Pears do 

 well by both grafting and budding. Budding is performed as 

 follows : 



Budding. — The operation may be performed with any sharp, 

 thin-bladed knife, though one called a " budding-knife," with 

 a thin ivory handle, is best for the purpose. It should be in- 

 serted about half an inch above the bud, and passing about 

 one-fourth of the way through the wood of the shoot, come out 

 again about the same distance below it, the cut being as clean 

 as possible. The portion of the bark in the centre of which 

 the bud is situated is called the shield ; and when removed, it 

 contains a portion of the wood, which is to be carefully re- 

 moved with the point of the knife, as shown in Fig. 20 ; if the 

 wood is dry, and does not separate readily, it is a sign the bud 

 is too old, and it should be rejected. 



Fig. 20. Fig. 21. Fig. 22. 



When the wood is too 



old or too young, the shield 

 may be taken off only about 

 one-eighth of the way 

 through the shoot, and in- 

 serted into the stock with- 

 out removing the portion 

 of the wood it contains: 

 this method, particularly 

 with very young shoots, is 

 very successful. If it is 

 necessary to transport the 

 buds to some distance, this may be safely done by cutting a 



