36 



THE NUT CULTUKIST. 



these tying materials are at hand, the inner bark of the 

 persimmon, corn husks, cotton twine, woolen yarn, or 

 even sti'ips of old muslin and calico may be employed 

 with equally as good results, although not as handy and 

 convenient for such purposes. The amateur, with only 

 a few stocks to bud, can readily 

 improvise implements and materi- 

 als for doing the work, even if 

 they are not of the regulation type. 

 In selecting buds, the young shoots 

 of the present season's growth 

 are preferred, and these should be 

 taken from the most healthy and 

 vigorous branches of bearing trees, 

 if possible. The leaves should be 

 immediately removed, not by 

 breaking or pulling off with the 

 hand, but by severing the leaf- 

 stalks with a knife, as shown in 

 Fig. 4. If the leaves have fallen 

 from the twig, the buds may be 

 too ripe, with some kinds of 

 plants, but with the almond, and 

 ' where only a few leaves near tlie 

 base have dropped, all may be 

 used with fair success. If there 

 are any soft and immature buds 

 on the upper part of the shoot, or 

 any undeveloped ones at the base, 

 they should be rejected. Success 

 FIG. 4. PREPABED SHOOT, jn buddiug depcnds very largely 

 upon the condition of the stocks at the time the opera- 

 tion is performed. Unless the sap is flowing and in 

 sufficient abundance to allow the bark to part or peel 

 readily from the wood underneath, the bud is certain to 

 fail. If the buds used should happen to be a little over- 



