1660 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



verized. The remaining part of the work 

 must be done by hand. 



Selection of Dormant Buds 



After a series of trials with buds of 

 the current season's growth and those of 

 the preceding season, none but those 

 which were formed during the season 

 preceding the operation of budding are 

 recommended for use. The dormant 

 buds (Plate I, No. 1, A) during the 

 month of June are ready to burst into 

 active growth when given the slightest 

 encouragement. Moreover, they can be 

 very easily removed from the bud stick, 

 together with a section of thick, solid 

 bark. The bark on the old wood can be 

 handled without being injured in any 

 way, and it is in every particular splen- 

 didly adapted for successful work. After 

 the union has taken place and the stocks 

 are cut back, the bud will give a stronger 

 growth and attain a greater length than 

 growths from the current season's buds. 

 In using buds from the current season's 

 wood (Plate I, No 1, B) many difficul- 

 ties will be encountered, and the results 

 will be found disappointing. Until the 

 season is pretty well advanced the cur- 

 rent year's bark is very thin and more or 

 less succulent, and it can not be re- 

 moved from the wood without being 

 bruised. Sometimes, even when the 

 greatest care is exercised by the oper- 

 ator, it will split lengthwise and be 

 rendered useless Again, especially up 

 to the latter part of July, the cuticle 

 is very apt to peel, and where it does 

 stay on it is almost certain to be bruised 

 in the operation of tying. Another se- 

 rious objection is the presence of the 

 leaf stalk. This, shortly after the bud 

 is inserted, will shrivel up and fall, or 

 it can easily be detached; but the scar 

 left, which in most cases is a large one, 

 is, it is thought, the channel through 

 which a large part of the sap of the bark 

 is lost before it has had an opportunity 

 to unite with the cambium of the stock. 



Location of the Buds 



It is important that the position which 

 the dormant buds occupy on the branches 

 be accurately understood, so that the 



proper ones may be selected for the work 

 of budding. They are to be found on the 

 branches made the year preceding that 

 m which it is desired to insert the buds. 

 The pecan trees which have been ex- 

 amined in the vicinity of Washington 

 show exceedingly few growths from 

 terminal buds. The growth of a season 

 starts from one of the large axillary 

 buds near the apex of the preceding 

 year's growth (Plate I, No. 2, A). Two 

 or more of these buds may produce 

 growths, but commonly only one. In 

 fruiting branches the nut cluster takes 

 the place of the terminal bud on the 

 young wood, as seen in Plate I, No. 3. 

 The strong shoots from these axillary 

 buds when one year old are the ones 

 which give good material for budding. 

 Each bud will be found immediately 

 above a leaf scar of the preceding season 

 (Plate I, No. 1, A). Those buds which 

 are nearest the base of the shoot are the 

 smallest and firmest; consequently they 

 are the best fitted for the work. Regard- 

 ing the period during which buds retain 

 their power of bursting into active 

 growth, Plate I, No. 4 shows a seven- 

 year-old branch of an allied species of 

 hickory (Hicona lacimosa) with three 

 small growths from dormant buds made 

 during the present season, together with 

 a bud quite dormant and evidently able 

 to persist for some time. In the selec- 

 tion of bud wood it is preferable to cut 

 the branches from the tree to be propa- 

 gated in the early part of the day, choos- 

 ing shoots as large in diameter as pos- 

 sible and those which show the greatest 

 number of short, plump buds. Imme- 

 diately on severing the branches from 

 the tree the growth of the current season 

 is severed and discarded and the one- 

 year-old bud sticks are wrapped in 

 dampened newspapers. If necessary, 

 they can in this manner be kept for sev- 

 eral days without danger of drying out. 



An Improved Method of Budding 



A method which has been demon- 

 strated to be a perfect way in which to 

 bud the pecan, and one by the use of 

 which there are very few failures, is as 



