20 PROPAGATION. 



. 



circumstances. In grafting, we use a branch, composed of seve- 

 ral buds with a considerable quantity of bark and wood ; while 

 in budding, we employ but a single bud, with a very small quan- 

 tity of the adjoining bark and wood. 



The advantages of budding fruit trees, compared with grafting, 

 are so considerable, that in this country it is ten times as much 

 practised. These are, first, the great rapidity with whicS it is 

 performed ; a skilful budder, with a clever boy following him to 

 tie the buds, being able to work from a thousand to twelve hun- 

 dred young nursery stocks in a day. 2o?. The more convenient 

 season at which it is performed, in all countries where a short 

 spring crowds garden labours within a small space. 3d. Being 

 able to perform the operation without injuring the stock in case 

 of failure, which is always more or less the case in stocks headed 

 down for grafting. 4th. The opportunity which it affords, when 

 performed in good season, of repeating the trial on the same 

 stock. To these we may add that budding is universally pre- 

 ferred here for all stone fruits, such as Peaches, Apricots, and 

 the like, as these require extra skill in grafting, but are budded 

 with great ease. 



The proper season for budding fruit trees in this country is 

 from the first of July to the middle of September ; the different 

 trees coming into season as follows ; Plums, Cherries, Apri- 

 cots on Plums, Apricots, Pears, Apples, Quinces, Nectarines, 

 and Peaches. Trees of considerable size will require budding 

 earlier than young seedling stocks. But the opera- 

 tion is always, and only, performed when the bark of 

 the stock parts or separates freely from the wood, and 

 when the buds of the current year's growth are some- 

 what plump, and the young wood is growing firm. 

 Young stocks in the nursery, if thrifty, are usually 

 planted out in the rows in the spring, and budded the 

 same summer or autumn. 



Before commencing you should provide yourself with 

 a budding knife, Fig. 7, (about four and a half inches 

 long,) having a rounded blade at one end, and an ivory 

 handle terminating in a thin rounded edge called the 

 haft, a, at the other. 



In choosing your buds, select thrifty shoots that 

 have nearly done growing, and prepare what is called 

 a stick of buds, Fig. 8, by cutting off a few of the 

 imperfect buds at the lower, and such as may be yet 

 too soft at the upper ends, leaving only smooth well 

 developed single buds ; double buds being fruit-buds. 

 Cut off the leaves, allowing about half an inch of the 

 foot-stalks to remain for conveniently inserting the 

 buds. Some strands of bass-matting about twelve or 

 i "fourteen inches long, previously soaked in water to 



