ASEXUAL PROPAGATION ON ROOTS OF OTHER PLANTS 73 



112. Budding-knife. The budding-knife should be very 

 thin, round near the point, and of the best steel (Fig. 41). 

 It should be sharpened on a fine whetstone and 



stropped to a razor edge from time to time in 

 the field. A sharp knife is one of the essentials 

 for success in budding. 



113. Cutting the stock. The size of stock 

 most convenient is about that of a lead-pencil, 

 but stocks larger or smaller can be budded. 

 More skill is required to bud small stocks than 

 large. A cut from one to one and one-half 

 inches long is made parallel with the sides of the 

 tree by holding the knife and guiding it with 

 the finger as shown in Fig. 42. A cross-cut is 

 then made (Fig. 43) with a slightly rolling 

 motion of the knife to open the bark for the 

 insertion of the bud. The cuts are just deep 

 enough to go through the bark. Usually the cut 

 should be on the side of the tree away from the 

 sun and as low oil the stock as possible. 



114. Inserting the bud. The bud to be 



inserted in the stock is cut from the bud-stick, as shown in 

 Fig. 44. The knife is steadied by holding the thumb in the 



position indicated, the blade 

 entering below the bud and 

 coming out above. The part 

 of the bud-stick cut out with 

 the bud is known as the 

 shield . Care should be taken 

 to have both ends of the 

 shield long enough to keep 

 the bud from drying out after 

 it is tied. Usually a little of 

 the wood is removed with the bark. Since the cambium of the 

 bud should have plenty of surface in contact with the cambium 



FIG. 41. A 

 budding-knife. 



FIG. 42. Making the longitudinal incision 

 preparatory to budding. Note the posi- 

 tion of the knife and forefinger. 



