40 PIOTOBIAL PRACTICAL FBUIT GROWING. 



I do not think that the person who grows a small collection of fruit for 

 private purposes need trouble much about the stock question. He is not 

 likely to gain much by it, and he may easily waste both time and money. 

 Trade and market growers should, however, study the subject. To them 

 Fig. 22, page 37, can hardly fail to be helpful. It shows that " free " 

 and dwarfing stocks are essentially different. The former, which is raised 

 from seed, has a tap root, which must be removed before the stock is 

 worked ; the latter, which is raised from a layer, has no tap root. Observe 

 here an important point. In root pruning trees on seedling stocks it is the 

 central, deep-striking roots which require severing, not the smaller hori- 

 zontal ones (see the dotted diagonal lines in A, and the tap a ; if the roots 

 outside the lines were cut and the tap left unshortened, harm would be 

 done). In root pruning trees on layered stocks the rambling side roots 

 may be shortened, and the central roots left alone. This point does not 

 receive due weight from cultivators, who rarely think of the stock when 

 root pruning. The illustrations make clear the natural difference between 

 Crab (or free) and Paradise stocks. The one has a strong, spreading root 

 system, which must be checked by transplanting and cutting the tap root 

 if early fruitfulness is to be had. The other has a close, fibrous root 

 system, more conducive to early productiveness. 



Budding. — Fruit stocks may be worked with either buds or grafts. 

 Buds are far the best economically, but if a bud inserted in summer fails a 

 graft may be put on in the following spring. Dwarfing stocks are best budded 

 about i inches above the ground, stocks for standards 6 or 8 inches. The 

 work is generally done in July or August. If the first month is very dry 

 the budder frequently waits till the latter, in the hope that friendly rains 

 may encourage a free flow of sap, which facilitates the raising of the bark. 

 The old T cut — a horizontal cut across the face of the stock, and an upward 

 perpendicular cut to intersect it — is the best. By working the flattened tip 

 of the knife handle into the perpendicular cut in the direction of the 

 horizontal one the bark is raised, and space afforded for the bud. A 

 beginner who has a few Roses should practise on them flrst, as they give 

 valuable practice for the similar, but rather more diSicult, task of fruit 

 budding. Make the fruit bud quite 2 inches long, for a " tail " of bark is 

 very useful : it can be gripped between the fingers and drawn down, thus 

 causing the pith to rise sufficiently to be caught hold of with the finger and 

 thumb and worked out. Until this pith can be extracted without dragging 

 out the small green growing germ at the base the practice must go on. The 

 most suitable Apple or other wood from which to make buds is vigorous, 

 healthy wood of the current year's growth. Take such a shoot, press the 

 blade of the knife into the wood about 1 inch above a leaf, turn it, and 

 draw the blade horizontally along the shoot beneath the leaf, bringing it 

 out about 1 inch below. Cut off the leaf, leaving ^ inch of stem to hold the 

 bud by ; turn it cut face upwards, and remove the pith as already described. 

 If the bud is somewhat too long for the T, it is easy to shorten the upper 

 part. Make a neat fit, and then tie the bud in with raffia, folding it 

 evenly over from top to bottom. The buds must always be kept moist ; if 

 dry they will not take. If there is much rain in late summer there may be 

 a rapid union and considerable swelling, in which case the binding material 

 must be loosened. In any case I believe in removing it in autumn, so as to 

 permit of the buds becoming hardened. When growth starts freely in the 

 spring, out off the head of the stock 3 or 4 inches above the bud. The 

 stump ("snag") is left simply to tie the young growth to until it is 



