118 AMERICAN POMOLOGY. 



active, so that the bark will part most freely from the 

 wood — in other words, while the stock is still quite active 

 in its circulation, but has, in a measure, made its growth. 

 The scions used must have so far completed their growth 

 for the season as to have filled their buds handsomely, 

 but yet be so young as to allow" the wood to part freely 

 from the bark of the shields when they are cut. Those 

 who desire to bud early, may accelerate the development 

 of the buds by nipping off the points of the shoots to be 

 used, this, in a few days, causes the buds to swell. The 

 season of budding will thus depend upon the high culture 

 of the nursery, and upon the condition of the trees from 

 which the scions of buds are to be cut. Budding should 

 never be done unless the stock is in perfectly good condi- 

 tion, if otherwise, it is labor lost. The old writers recom- 

 mended damp, cloudy, or even showery weather ; but un- 

 der our bright summer skies our large establishments would 

 never be able to dispose of their work, were they to wait 

 for such suitable weather. Fortunately it is not found 

 necessary to select such a season, but the greatest success 

 attends the budding that is done in fine bright and even 

 hot weather. The scions should be kept wrapped in a 

 damp cloth, excluded from the rapid evaporation to which 

 they would be subjected if exposed — this is better than to 

 keep them in water, which exhausts them by dilution of 

 the sap they contain. The scions should have their leaves 

 removed, so soon as they are cut from the tree ; this is 

 done with a knife or the thumb nail, leaving a short piece 

 of the leaf-stalk for convenience when inserting the buds. 

 Spring budding is sometimes desirable, either to fill up 

 gaps in the nursery-rows, or to secure varieties, the scions 



