398 



SCIENCE OF GARDENING. 



Part II. 



" a part of the abundant blossom-buds from one tree to the barren branches of others." 

 He tried this first on roses, and afterwards on the pear and peach, with much success. In 

 this way also he considers that fruit might be produced on yearling trees, not as matter of 

 utility (as in supplying barren trees with blossom-buds), but as a curious experiment. 



2052. Advantages of budding. Budded trees are generally two years later in producing 

 their fruit than grafted ones ; but the advantage of budding is, that where a tree is rare, 

 a new plant can be got from every eye, whereas by grafting it can only be got from every 

 three or four eyes. There are also trees which propagate much more readily by budding 

 than grafting ; and others, as most of the stone-fruits, are apt to throw out gum when 

 grafted. When grafting has been omitted or has failed in spring, budding comes in as an 

 auxiliary in summer. 



2053. Season of budding. Tlie operation of common budding is performed any time 

 from the beginning of July to the middle of August ; the criterion being the formation 

 of the buds in the axillae of the leaf of the present year. The buds are known to be ready 

 by the shield or portion of bark, to which they are attached, easily parting with the wood. 

 The buds preferred are generally those on the middle of a young shoot, as being neither 

 so apt to run to wood as those at the extremity, nor so apt to lie dormant as those at the 

 lower end. In some cases, however, the buds from the middle and extremity of the shoots 

 are to be rejected, and those taken which are at the base of the annual shoots, as Knight 

 (Hart. Trans, vol. iii. 135.) found in the case of the walnut-tree. Scalope-budding may 

 be performed in spring, or at any season. 



2054. Stocks for budding may, in general, be much smaller than for grafting, as the 

 operation may be performed on the same year's shoot. But it may also be performed on 

 shoots or stems of several years' growth, and in such, by inserting a number of buds, a 

 complete tree may be formed at once. Scalope-budding may be performed on trees of 

 considerable age. 



2055. Choice of buds. For gathering the shoots containing the buds, a cloudy day or 

 an early or late hour is chosen, on this principle, that the leaves being at these periods 

 in a less active state of perspiration, suffer least from being separated from their parent 

 plant. They are preserved fresh, and may be sent a great distance by inserting their ends 

 in water or moist moss ; though, in general, they should be used as soon after gathering 

 as possible ; indeed, as in grafting and inarching, the whole operation ought to be per- 

 formed with the greatest celerity. 



2056. Kinds <f budding. Professor Thouin enumerates twenty-three species and va- 

 rieties of budding ; but we shall here describe only foiu-, of which but Que variety is in 

 general use in Britain. 



2057. Shield-budding, or T budding (fg. 382.) is thus performed : — 382 

 Fix on a smooth part on the side of the stock, rather from than towards 

 the sun, and of a height depending, as in grafting, on whether dwarf, 

 half, or whole standard-trees are desired ; then, with the budding-knife, 

 make a horizontal cut across the rind, quite through to the firm wood ; 

 from the middle of this transverse cut, make a slit downward, perpendi- 

 cularly, an inch or more long, going ?ilso quite through to the wood. 

 This done, proceed with all expedition to take off a bud ; holding the 

 cutting, or scion, in one hand, with the thickest end outward, and with 

 the knife in the other hand, enter it about half an inch or more below 

 a bud, cutting near half way into the wood of the shoot, continuing it 

 with one clean slanting cut, about half an inch or more above the bud, 

 so deep as to take oflP part of the wood along with it, the whole about 

 an inch and a half long {fg. 382. a) ; then directly with the thumb 

 and finger. Or point of the knife, slip off the woody part remaining to 

 the bud ; which done, observe whether the eye or gem of the bud re- 

 mains perfect ; if not, and a little hole appears in that part, it is improper, or as gardeners 

 express it, the bud has lost its root, and another must be prepared. This done, placing 

 the back part of the bud or shield between your lips, expeditiously with the flat haft of 

 the knife separate the bark of the stock on each side of the perpendicular cut, clear to the 

 wood (c), for the admission of the bud, which directly slip down, close between the wood 

 and bark, to the bottom of the slit (d). The next operation is to cut off the top part of 

 the shield (b) even with the horizontal first made cut, in order to let it completely into 

 its place, and to join exactly the upper edge of the shield with the transverse cut, that tlie 

 descending sap may immediately enter the bark of the shield, and protrude granulated 

 matter between it and the wood, so as to effect a living union. The parts are now to be 

 immediately bound round with a ligament of fresh bass (e), previously soaked in water, 

 to render it pliable and tough, beginning a little below the bottom of the perpendicular 

 slit, proceeding upward closely round every part, except just over the eye of the bud, and 

 continue it a little above the horizontal cut, not too tight, but just sufficient to keep the 

 whole close, and exclude the air, sun, and wet. 



