126 



THE NURSERY-MANUAL 



smooth and even, and the bud is not too thick. Some propa- 

 gators cut the buds as they go, while others prefer to cut a 

 whole stick before setting any, letting each 

 bud hang by a bit of bark at the top, and 

 which is cut off squarely when wanted, 

 as is shown in Fig. 133. On a stick one- 

 fourth or three-eighths inch in diameter the 

 cut, at its deepest joint just under the bud, 

 is about one-fourth the diameter of the 

 twig. A bit of wood, therefore, is re- 

 moved with the bud, as shown in Fig. 130. 

 There is some discussion as to whether 

 this wood should be left on the bud, but 

 no definite experiments have been made 

 j 1 to show that it is inju- 



FIQ. 137. Preparing the rious to the resulting 

 stock (x $). ree Some budders 



remove the wood with the point of the knife 

 or by a deft twist as the bud is taken from 

 the stick. But buds appear to live equally 

 well with wood attached or removed. The 

 bit of wood probably serves a useful purpose 

 in retaining moisture in the bud, but at the 

 same time it interposes a foreign body be- 

 tween the healing surfaces, for the bark of 

 the bud unites directly with the surface of 

 the stock. Probably the very youngest 

 parts of the wood in the bud unite with the 

 stock, but if the budding-knife cuts deep, 

 the denser part of the wood should be re- p IG 138- x Bud en- 

 moved from the bud. This remark is par- taring matrix (xf). 

 ticularly true, also, of all buds likely to be cut into the pith, as 

 in the nut-trees. 



The wound or matrix that is to receive the bud is made by 



