30 NEW METHODS OF GRAFTING AND BUDDING". 



Methods of excising the bud. Once the shoot has been 

 selected, and those eyes not fulfilling the required conditions 

 removed, the scion-bud has to be excised. On this subject 

 Olarac has again made interesting experiments. 



First method. Scion-bud with sap-mood (Fig. 39.) This 

 graft can only be made by selecting scion-buds on shoots of a 

 small diameter, and grafting them on graft-bearing shoots of 

 larger diameter. The sap-wood of the shield 

 does not knit, therefore it is advisable to 

 diminish its surface. To excise the shield, 

 the shoot is seized with the left hand, the 

 first finger being under the bud ; the cut is 

 begun with the base of the grafting-knife 

 J inch below the bud, and, while cutting, 

 the blade is drawn in such a way that the 

 end section (-J- inch above the ibud) corre- 

 sponds with the point of the blade. The 

 shield detached in this manner will be about 

 \\ inch in length ; but the wood being 

 generally chipped on the edge, it is advis- 

 able to level and smooth the section with a 

 39. grafting-knife. By doing so the length of 



shield with sap-wood, foe section is reduced to one inch. The 

 scion-bud is then rather thick at its centre, and terminated 

 by two pointed bevels. 



If the" diameter of the scion-buds is large (diameter deter- 

 mined by the size of the bud) it will not fit well on the 

 cylindrical internode of the stock ; the sap-wood of the 

 shield is therefore slightly hollowed with the rounded part 

 of the grafting-knife, so as to make the concave surface 

 fit perfectly round the stock. This method of budding 

 can only be used during the first days of June.* Later 

 on these grafts apparently knit well ; but the shoots have 

 not time to completely lignify, and are then killed by 

 frosts. 



Second method. Scion-bud with half sap-wood, with the 

 upper portion hollowed out (Fig. 40). This method of pre- 

 paring the scion-bud is far superior to that above described. 

 The shoot bearing the eye which is to be excised is taken in 

 the left hand in such a way that the extremity of the shoot 

 faces the body of the operator (Fig. 41). The cut is started 

 with the base of the blade ol the grafting-knife \ inch above 

 the eye, while the blade is drawn outward as before, so as to 



* About December in Victoria. 



