JULY.] 



THE GARDENER. 



123 



they may be struck at almost any season ; some of the 

 variegated sorts, however, will not strike well after 

 this month, or the beginning of the next. 



Budding is now to be executed with energy, though 

 it may have commenced in the preceding, and may be 

 continued in the ensuing month. Mr. Cobbett's detail 

 of the operation is so remarkably perspicuous, that I 

 cannot resist the temptation to insert it. 



In choosing and preparing the bud, fix on one 

 seated at about the middle of a healthy shoot of the 

 midsummer growth ; these are, generally speaking, 

 most inclined to fruitfulness. Choose a cloudy day, 

 if you have a choice of days at this season, and if not, 

 perform your work early in the morning, or in the 

 evening. The time being proper, you sever the branch 

 on which you find buds to your liking ; take this with 

 you to the stock that you are going to bud : holding 

 the branch in your left hand, the largest end down- 

 wards, make a sloping cut from about an inch and a 

 half below the bud to about an inch above it, suffering 

 your knife to go through the bark and about half-way 

 into the wood, cutting out wood and all. 



" This keeping of the wood prevents the bud and 

 its bark from drying, whilst you are preparing the in- 

 cision in the stock, and if you wish to carry buds of 

 any scarce sorts to any distance, you may do so safely 

 by putting their ends in water or in damp moss ; but 

 it is always safer, as well in grafting as in budding, to 

 perform the operation with as much expedition as pos- 

 sible, but particularly it is so in budding. Cut off the 

 leaf under which the bud is seated, but leave its foot- 

 stalk, and by this hold it between your lips while 

 with your budding knife you cut two straight lines in 

 the stock at the place where you wish to insert the 

 bud, and this should be at a place where the bark is 

 smooth, free from any bruises or knots, and on the 

 side rather from the mid-day sun. Of these lines let 



