DESCRIPTION OF BUDDINO. 35 



knife which must have a very keen edge, take 

 off the top bud from the scion, commencing 

 with your knife about an inch below the bud, 

 then hold the bud firm between your thumb and 

 finger, and take out the piece of wood the re- 

 verse way of the bud, leaving nothing but the 

 rind, this must be done clean without leaving 

 it any way ragged ; you then look, (and in this 

 it is necessary to be very particular,) to see if 

 taking out the wood has injured the bud, which 

 it will do in various ways ; sometimes it will 

 draw all the centre of the bud out, which ren- 

 ders the bud of no use whatever ; sometimes it 

 will leave the bud very hollow ; in that case they 

 are doubtful ; therefore if you are not short of 

 cuttings do not make use of one bud unless it is 

 quite plump and level with the inside rind, and 

 then you may almost make a certainty of its 

 growing ; on the contrary, you cannot depend 

 on them, for they will often keep alive to all 

 appearance even through the winter, but will 

 not shoot in spring ; in fact, this is one of the 

 most nice points in budding; having your 

 bud ready, you next proceed to open the in- 

 cision in the stock or tree ; the incision is made 

 nearly in the form of a letter T, cutting through 

 the rind first at the top about halfway round the 

 stock, then commencing with your knife about 

 two inches lower down, draw your knife up 



