702 



Gardening for Amateurs 



at the top ; the dwarf is short and generally 

 has the bud inserted at or near the ground 

 level. When the buds begin to grow all the 

 branches of the stock are removed, and so a 

 large bush of the speciality is quickly ob- 

 tained. Roses are budded both on standards 

 and dwarfs. 



The Buds. Where a leaf joins the stem of 

 a bush, a bud, which the plant is nursing up 

 for future growth, will generally be noticed. 

 A nice, plump foliage bud, not beginning to 

 grow and yet not too immature or small, is 

 selected and cut out with a " heel " of wood 

 about half an inch below and half an inch 

 above the bud. The heel will contain a 

 piece of wood, and this wood must be re- 

 moved by giving it a sharp pull with a 

 twisting movement at the upper or lower 

 end. The bud and the wood just removed 

 should be examined ; if the wood has not 

 been properly removed there will be a small 

 hole seen on the inside of the bark, and the 

 wood will have a tiny, sharp, but brittle 

 knob on it which is called the " eye " of the 

 bud. The bud is then useless. If correctly 

 taken away, the wood will not have this 

 projection, and the base of the bud when 

 examined from the inside of the bark will 

 appear filled up. The bud with its shield of 

 bark is now ready for the budding or grafting 

 process ; don't touch it further, and don't 

 let it get dry. Cut off the leaf which is still 

 on it, leaving an inch or so of stalk to protect 

 the bud. 



Take a sharp knife and make a cut like 

 a T in the bark of the stock, and about the 

 same length as the shield of the bud ; this 

 cut is made either on the main stem of the 

 stock or near the base of its branches, and 

 the cut goes about half-way round. Carefully 

 lift up the bark with the specially made 

 handle of the pruning knife or with a thin 

 blade of hard wood. Push the lower end 

 of the shield well into the opening and let 

 the side flaps fall over to enclose it ; if the 

 shield is too large, cut off the part which 

 protrudes above the cross cut in the bark of 

 the stock, and press the shield gently but 

 firmly against the fresh wood of the stock. 

 Tie up the bud with raffia or, better still, 

 with wool ; tie fairly firmly but not exces- 

 sively tight. The actual bud must not be 

 tied over but left peeping through. 



Points Worth Noting. Budding is gener 

 ally carried out during July or early in 

 August. Always bud after showery weather 

 because the bushes are active and the sap 

 plentiful ; the wood can then be removed 

 from behind the bud very readily. Ex- 

 amine the bud a month after the operation ; 

 if union has taken place the bud will still be 

 plump and fresh ; if not it will be withered, 

 and should be removed. Loosen the binding 

 of the bud at this time, and tie up again 

 loosely so as to allow free expansion at the 

 point of union. Remove the binding al- 

 together at the end of October, although if 

 the shrub is in an exposed position keep it on 

 until next February. Early morning or dull 

 weather is the best time for budding. Use 

 a sharp knife and don't tie too tightly. 

 Bud only on a well-rooted stock. 



When the twigs begin to grow next season, 

 remove the branches of the stock to within 

 6 inches of the bud ; this allows the sap to 

 pass into the budded twig, while the stump 

 which is left can be employed to train the 

 young shoot. When the new shoot is well 

 advanced the rest of the stock branch can be 

 cut off. 



Propagation by Layers. Layering is a 

 convenient method of propagation when 

 plants or shrubs are difficult to strike from 

 cuttings. A branch of the plant is pegged 

 down or laid on soil until it forms roots, 

 nourishment meantime being derived from 

 the parent plant ; a notch is made or the 

 stem may be " tongued " or cut half through 

 so as to intercept the downward flow of sap, 

 and at this point a callus is eventually pro- 

 duced and roots arise from the spot where 

 the incision was made. 



Layering Carnations. Of all garden plants 

 those most commonly propagated in this way 

 are Carnations. From the base of every 

 healthy Carnation plant there springs a 

 number of shoots. The best of these are 

 selected, some of the lowest leaves removed 

 at the place where the shoots can be bent 

 down to touch the ground conveniently ; then 

 a slanting incision about 1 inch long is 

 made towards the top of the shoot, just half- 

 way through, and penetrating at least one 

 joint. The upper part is now bent until 

 nearly vertical, and then the branch is pegged 

 down on the ground by means of a pin or 



