MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &c. 139 



ground ; then with your knife, make an horizontal cut across 

 the rind of the stock, and from the middle of that cut make a 

 slit downwards about two inches in length ; so that it may be 

 in the form of a T ; but you must be careful not to cut too 

 deep, lest you wound the stock ; then having cut off the leaf 

 from the bud, leaving the foot-stalk remaining, you should 

 make a cross cut about half an inch below the eye, and with 

 your knife slit off the bud with part of the wood to it, in form 

 of an escutcheon ; this done, you must with your knife pull off 

 that part of the wood which was taken with the bud, observing 

 whether the eye of the bud be left to it or not (for all those buds 

 which loose their eyes in stripping should be thrown away, be- 

 ing good for nothing) ; then having gently raised the bark of 

 the stock where the cross incision was made, with the flat haft 

 or handle of your knife clear of the wood, you should thrust 

 the bud therein, observing to place it smooth between the rind 

 and the wood of the stock, cutting off any part of the rind be- 

 longing to the bud v/hich may be too long for the sht made in 

 the stock ; and having thus exactlv fitted the bud to the stock, 

 you must tie them closely round with bass mat, beginning at the 

 under part of the slit, and so proceed to the top ; taking care 

 that you do not bind round the eye of the bud, which should be 

 left open. 



When your buds have been inoculated three weeks or a 

 month, you will see which of them have taken j those which 

 appear shrivelled and black are dead ; but those which remain 

 fresh and plump, you may be sure are joined; and at this time 

 you should loosen the bandage, which if not done in time, 

 will pinch the stock, and greatly injure, if not destroy the 

 bud. 



In the March following you must cut off the stock about 

 three inches above the bud ; sloping it, that the wet may pass 

 off, and not enter the stock : To this part of the stock left above 

 the bud, it is very proper to fasten the shoot which proceeds 

 from the bud, and which would be in danger of being blown 

 out, if not prevented ; but this must continue no longer than 

 one year, after which it must be cut off close above the bud, 

 that the stock may be covered thereby. 



The time for inoculating is, from the middle of June un- 

 til the middle of August, (in America, from the end of June 

 to the end of August,) according to the forwardness of the 

 season, and the particular sorts of trees to be propagated ; but 

 the time may be easily known, by trying the buds, whether 

 they will come off well from the wood, or not. However, 

 the most general rule is, when you observe the buds formed 



