54 Pecan-Growing 



wood, it should be placed in a warm moist location until 

 the bark begins to slip, which will generally be from twenty- 

 four to forty-eight hours. Care should be taken to use 

 these buds before they show signs of swelling, as poor success 

 ' will be attained after they begin to force. 



Until a few years ago, especially while the ring-bud was 

 used, the budwood was taken from the current season's growth. 

 This required waiting until the first of July, in order to give 

 the new growth time to mature. Buds of the current season 

 taken before the first of July will seldom live as they are not 

 fully developed. It will often be advantageous to cut the 

 petiole about one-half inch above the bud, from ten days to 

 two weeks before the buds are to be used. The petiole will 

 then rub off when the bud is cut. This operation hastens 

 maturity of the bud and enables the operator to handle it with 

 greater ease. Current season buds will not keep as well as 

 the other two forms. They should, therefore, be used as soon 

 as possible after being cut from the tree. They are important 

 when budding is done late in the season, as it is difficult to 

 keep dormant buds for July work, and reserve buds are very 

 wasteful of new growth, especially when they are cut. late in 

 the season. 



On small nursery stock the patch-bud should be set from 

 two to four inches above ground, while on trees from one to 

 two inches in diameter it should be from six to eight inches. 

 On young seedlings or sprouts under three inches in diameter 

 the bud or buds should be placed where the diameter of the 

 stock is not over one to two inches. In working over trees, 

 care should be taken to set the buds on well placed branches 

 and as near the main trunk as possible. The nearer in to the 

 main body of the tree the buds are located the more bearing 



