PROPAGATION. 



115 



rectly from the trees, by stripping the bark in June, and 

 after it has lain a few days in water, the inner portion sep- 

 arates easily, is dried, and put away for future use. Those 

 who have not provided the bass, .are content to apply 

 woolen yarn to tie in the buds ; its elasticity adapts it well 

 to the purpose. The ingenious budder, without bass, 

 often finds a substitute for it, and a very good tie, in the 

 soft husks of corn ears, the inner husks are torn in- 

 to strips and, used a little damp, when they are pliant and 

 easily tied, answering a very good 

 purpose. Many nurserymen, who have 

 tried the corn-husk, prefer it to all other 

 material, because it saves them the 

 trouble of removing the bandages, as 

 it decays rapidly, and yielding to the 

 growth of the stock, it falls off before 

 it cuts the bark, which a firmer bandage 

 is apt to do. 



S. S. Jackson, whose improvements 

 in budding have already been mention- 

 ed, also adopts another in tying. He 

 holds that it is not at all necessary to 

 M >a *e bud with the tie, the only re- 

 BUD. quisite being to retain the parts in con- 



tact. He uses No. 3 cotton yarn, cut in lengths of a few 

 inches, more or less, according to the size of the stocks ; a 

 couple of strands are pulled out from the cut bundles ; the 

 first turn around the stock secures the end of the string 

 by its own pressure, one turn more is taken below the 

 bud and one or two above it, when the free end is passed 

 into a cleft made through the bark above the point where 

 the bud is inserted. This is found to secure the string 



