86 BULLETIN 813, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



desirable branches. More buds can be cut from productive trees if 

 tliis method is followed than from unproductive ones. Sufficient evi- 

 dence, both experimental and practical, has been obtained to warrant 

 the statement that fruit-bearing bud wood from productive trees is 

 the most desirable kind to be used for propagation. The vigorous 

 growth and early-fruiting tendency of nursery trees grown from such 

 bud wood are illustrated in figure 22. 



After the bud sticks have been cut the leaves and fruits should be 

 chpped off, as shown in figure 19, and the bud sticks from each tree 

 tied in a separate bundle with the number of the tree marked on one 

 of the bud sticks or on a suitable label tied to the bundle. In this way 

 the progeny of each tree can be kept separate if desired. 



As soon as the bundle of bud sticks is obtained it should be wrapped 

 in some moist material, commercial sphagnum moss being suitable for 

 this purpose. In moistening the dry moss, either of two methods may 

 be followed. The moss can be moistened safely by adding about half 

 an ounce of water to each ounce of dry moss, or it may be steamed or 

 soaked in water, after which it should be run through a clothes wringer 

 so adjusted as to bring the greatest possible pressure to bear on the 

 moss. 



If the bud sticks are to be kept for some time before being used they 

 should be stored where the teftiperature is about 70° F. and does not 

 fluctuate greatly at any time. ■ Under these conditions the bud wood 

 may be kept in good condition for several weeks. 



In May, 1917, the California Fruit Growers' Exchange, a cooper- 

 ative organization of about 8,000 citrus growers, established a bud- 

 selection department as a result of these investigations. The purpose 

 in the organization of this department is to provide adequate and reli- 

 able sources of bud wood of citrus varities, including lemons, for use 

 by all growers and propagators. As this department was established 

 as a matter of public service and for the benefit of the citrus industry 

 as a whole, the buds are distributed at cost to those who apply for 

 them, whether the applicants are members of the exchange or not. 

 The buds are taken only from trees selected on the basis of their per- 

 formance records for several successive seasons. The orchards for this 

 purpose are selected for their known production of superior crops of 

 valuable fruits. 



In obtaining commercial supplies of reHable bud wood from the su- 

 perior individual trees of the best strains in the orchards finally selected 

 for this purpose, the purchaser has the opportunity of visiting and 

 studying the trees from which bud wood is to be cut, inspecting the 

 records of the individual trees, and examining the fruits produced by 

 them. 



In cutting the bud wood from the carefully selected trees only fruit- 

 bearing wood is chosen. The fruits from the bud sticks are returned 

 to the owner of the trees. Each lot of bud sticks from each tree is 



