276 OF GRAFTING AND BUDDING. 



Inoculation, or Budding. 



This is commonly practised upon all sorts of 

 stone-fruit in particular ; such as Peaches, Nectar- 

 ines, Cherries, Plums, &c. as also Oranges and 

 Jasmines ; and is preferable to any sort of grafting 

 for most kinds of fruit. The method of perform- 

 ing it is as follows : you must be provided with a 

 sharp pen-knife, or what is commonly called a 

 budding-knife, having a flat haft, (the use of which 

 is to raise the bark of the stock to admit the bud,) 

 and some sound bass mat, which should be soaked 

 in water to increase its strength, and make it more 

 pliable : then, having taken off cuttings from the 

 trees that you would propagate, you should choose 

 a smooth part of the stock, above five or six inches 

 above the surfaceoftheground, if designedfordwarfs, 

 and for half-standards at three feet ; but for stand- 

 ards they should be budded six or more feet above 

 the ground ; then with your knife make an hori- 

 zontal cut across the rind of the stock, and from 

 the middle of that cut make a slit downwards 

 about two inches in length, so that it may be in the 

 form of a T; but you must be careful not to cut 

 too deep, lest you wound the stock : then, having 

 cut off' the leaf from the bud, leaving the foot- 

 stalk remaining, you should make a cross cut about 

 half an inch below the eye, and with your knife 

 slit off" the bud with part of the wood to it, in form 

 of an escutcheon : this done^ you must with your 



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