Budding 269 



slit in the bark lengthwise, and at the upper end of this 

 slit a cross cut, thus forming a T-shaped figure on the 

 bark of the seedling. The bark should peel readily and is 

 gently raised and turned back. Now the bud should be 

 cut from the budding stick as directed and inserted be- 

 neath the bark of the sprout by holding with thumb and 

 finger the short stein left for the purpose and forcing it 

 downward sharp end first, until the square end of the bud 

 gets down to where it will fit against the cross cut in the 

 bark itself. The bud is then ready for wrapping. 



In order that the bud may form a union with the grow- 

 ing seedling it is necessary to press it closely against the 

 tree by binding with some sort of string. Nurserymen com- 

 monly use a kind of material called "raffia," which is wet 

 before applying and adjusts itself to the parts to be covered 

 and makes an excellent wrapper. A good substitute for 

 raffia easily obtained by everyone is strips a quarter or half 

 an inch wide torn from old soft cotton cloths. Buds are 

 sometimes tied with strips of wet corn shucks. Whatever 

 is used is to be bound around newly inserted buds in such a 

 manner as to leave only the stem of the leaf sticking out. 

 This leaf stem will serve as an indicator to show whether 

 the bud has united or not. If the stem remains green the 

 bud is living; otherwise it will turn brown in a day or two. 

 Do not wait longer than ten days before examining the 

 buds to see if they are living. If they have united with 

 the trees, release the bandage by cutting it on the opposite 

 side from the bud in order to not disturb the healing 

 wound. This early examination and cutting of the string 

 must not be forgotten, as it is very important. At this 

 time the tree will be making a very rapid growth in thick- 

 ness and in a remarkably short time will grow over the 

 string and choke the tree to death, or what is more to the 

 point, will make a deep ring in the tree and cause it to 

 break off where the bud is inserted. During the autumn 

 in which the bud is inserted in the tree it will make no 

 growth other than to make a firm union with the stock, 

 the bud itself remaining dormant. 



The following spring the bud will begin to grow along 



