60 THE SUBURBANITE'S HANDBOOK 



both sides of the upright cut, then we take the ' ' bud stick ' ' and 

 selecting a plump bud, make a horizontal incision about one-eighth 

 of an inch above the top of the bud, then turning the bud stick with 

 its .top pointing downwards, make a cut beginning one-fourth to 

 one-half inch below the base of the bud and cut upwards and deeper 

 than the bud, until the cut meets the horizontal cut already made 

 and a little shield is separated with a square top and the bud in 

 the center. Sometimes we will find a little spicula of wood still ad- 

 herent to the back of the bud with a little ''nipple" of soft wood 

 entering the base of the bud. By inserting the point of a knife 

 under the lower end of this wood it is easily lifted free from the 

 bark ; some times it will stick pretty firmly. It is a mooted 

 question whether it is best to remove it; some do, which 

 is the English system, and again some do not, which is the Ameri- 

 can. As far as my experience teaches I do. not think it matters 

 very materially. If I can remove it without injury to the bark of 

 the bud, and it lifts easily, I generally take it away; if not, I leave 

 it in its natural position and I find no great difference in the result. 

 We now have a little shield of bark, with an uninjured bud thereon, 

 and we lift up the flaps of loosened bark on the stock and slip the bark 

 with the bud on under the loosened bark, being careful to adjust the 

 upper end of the bark shield accurately to the horizontal cut on the 

 stock. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Then tie the bark tightly, both 

 above and below the bud, with a soft string, no grafting wax being 

 necessary. It is well if possible to have the stem of the leaf attached 

 to the bud, only clipping off the expanded part, as it will assist in 

 handling the bud and by its condition in a few days will show 

 whether the bud has "taken" or not. We now leave the bud alone 

 for a week or ten days, when the string must be loosened or entirely 

 removed. 



"The reason why" will give an intelligent idea of the process. 

 In grafting the work is done in the spring and the graft grows and 

 is nourished by the ASCENDING SAP. While in budding the 

 work being done in summer, the new bud remains dormant, but is 

 nourished by the DESCENDING SAP that is elaborated in the leaves 

 as it flows downward to nourish the roots. The sap flowing between 

 the "cambrium" (or sap wood) and the inside of the bark shows 

 the necessity of having the inner bark of both stock and cion 

 accurately adjusted to facilitate the flow of sap from one to the 

 other. A careful study of the accompanying cuts will better eluci- 



