24 

 CHAPTER VI. 



BUDDING. 



Where it is the purpose of the orange grower to bud his trees it is 

 better that the budding should be done before the trees are taken from 

 the nursery. The reasons are, 1st, the sooner in the life of the tree the 

 budding is done the sooner and more thoroughly the healing of the 

 wounds ; 2d, the budding is done with greater ease and rapidity in the 

 nursery than in the grove; 3d, in transplanting trees of considerable 

 size it is impossible to take up all the roots, and, as it is necessary that 

 the top should not exceed in proportion the roots in transplanting 

 trees, it is beneficial to cut back the top considerably. If the bud- 

 ding has been done but a few months before transplanting the wounds 

 will have healed and the proportion between the roots and top will 

 have become about right for transplanting without the necessity of 

 inflicting new wounds upon the branches at a time when the tree is in 

 its most delicate condition. 



A good time to begin to bud is when the trees in the nursery are 

 one year old. By budding every alternate tree the budded trees can 

 be set the following season, leaving greater space for larger growth ofj 

 the trees left in the nursery. Those remaining can be budded when 

 two years old and set the season following. Where trees are to be 

 bought from the nurseryman it is preferable to plant trees older than 

 one or two years, as older trees come into bearing sooner. But where 

 persons are growing their own stock the sooner they are set, after the 

 first year, in position, the more rapidly they will grow, if the trees are 

 properly cultivated. 



In budding nursery stock, but one plan, that of inserting a single 

 bud, is practiced. The graft has not done well. Grafted trees will 

 live, but they do not grow so thriftily as the budded tree. Grafting is 

 sometimes resorted to when one wishes to preserve a new variety and 

 he has obtained a cutting of this new variety in Winter when the sap 

 is not in condition for budding. Sprig budding is not resorted to for 

 nursery stock, as the stem is usually too small to admit the sprig. Do 

 not attempt to bud except when the sap is flowing freely, so freely that 



