PROPAGATION. 109 



the proper juice and the several products peculiar to the 

 tree, as well as its wood and fruits. When all this is 

 transpiring within its economy, the tree is said to be in 

 its full flow of sap ; at this stage the young tree is in the 

 best condition for budding, but it continues also, if well 

 cultivated, to grow by extension for a greater or shorter 

 portion of the season, and this is essential to the success 

 of the operation as already stated. After the perfecting 

 of the crop of fruit, the main work of the tree seems to 

 have been done for the year, and we often observe, par- 

 ticularly with the summer fruits, that the trees appear to 

 go to rest after this period, and begin to cast their foliage. 

 Now, to a certain extent, this is true of the young trees. 

 The varieties that ripen their, fruit early, make their 

 growth in the nursery in the earlier portion of the sum- 

 mer, they stop growing, and their terminal bud is formed 

 and is conspicuous at the top of the shoots. Very soon 

 the supply of sap appears to be diminished, there is no 

 longer so much activity in the circulation, the bark cleaves 

 to the wood, it will no longer run, and the season of budr 

 ding for those stocks has reached its terminus ; hence the 

 nurseryman must be upon the look-out for the condition 

 of his trees. Fortunately, those species which have the 

 shortest season, are also the first to be ready, the first to 

 mature their buds, and they must be budded first. We 

 may commence with the cherry, though the Mahaleb stock, 

 when it is used, continues in condition longer than other 

 varieties, and may be worked late. The plum and pear 

 stocks also complete their growth at an early period in the 

 season ; the apple continues longer in good condition, and 

 may be worked quite late. Grapes, if worked in this 



