Top-working Fruit Trees 171 



desired lengths beforehand, and if raffia is used, it should 

 be kept moist, as it ties better. 



On healthy young wood, the buds will unite within ten 

 days to two weeks. Then the wrapping should be cut 

 by drawing a knife across it on the side of the stock op- 

 posite the bud. Should the stock be making a slow growth, 

 there need be no hurry about cutting the tie. The only 

 thing to be guarded against is that the wrap does not cut 

 into the bark, for this pressure interferes with the flow 

 of sap, and tends to throw the bud into premature growth; 

 this often means a loss of the September bud. 



The bud set in August and September should remain 

 dormant over winter. The following spring, as soon as 

 the buds on the top of the stock begin to push out, the 

 stock is cut away. Should the stock be cut off too early 

 in the spring, or too close, there is danger of the stub 

 drying out to the injury of the bud. Some persons recom- 

 mend leaving a longer stub to which the young growing 

 shoot from the bud may be tied until it is well estab- 

 lished. This saves some buds from being blown out, but 

 necessitates a second cutting in midsummer to allow the 

 stub to heal over. 



We have said that buds for fall budding should be taken 

 from the current year's growth. The common practice 

 is to cut the terminal growth from bearing trees. The 

 leaves are trimmed off at once, leaving a small part of 

 the leafstalk with which to handle the bud. Bud- 

 sticks trimmed in this way may be stored in a cool, damp 

 place and kept for some time without injury. The leaf- 

 stalks, however, will loosen and drop off in many cases 

 if stored over ten days; this does no harm, but some 



