VIII 



PROPAGATION 



131 



stocks, beyond removing the ties at the expiration of 

 four weeks or a little less, till October or November. 

 In the middle of the former month, where the buds 

 look weak or doubtful, all the wild growth may be cut 

 away — in standards, reserving one or two wild buds 

 only on the worked shoots above the inserted bud, and 

 cleanly removing all others which have been unsuccess- 

 ful or unbudded — on dwarfs cutting away the actual 

 stem with all the wild growth upon it to within three 

 or four inches of the bud — and on seedlings cutting 

 away above the bud and below the collar. Where the 

 buds look strong and healthy all this work should be 

 left till November, or they might commence growth 

 which would be very undesirable ; but a week or two 

 of genial weather, before the roots are quite dormant, 

 may sometimes strengthen and plump up a doubtful 

 bud, and encourage it to live through the winter. 



The buds of Teas will, in many places, require pro- 

 tection during the winter, as described in Chapter IV. 

 Some of the earliest buds may begin to grow even in 

 March, and all, whether dormant or growing, will need 

 constant examination during April to protect them from 

 insect enemies, especially weevils and the black grub. 



Some recommend the pinching closely back of 

 those buds which start with only one shoot, to 

 cause them to break again in two or more shoots. I 

 used to find it necessary to " harden my heart " very 

 much to perform this operation : and, since a sharp 

 frost supervened one year and killed nearly the whole 

 of these mutilated buds, I have given it up com- 

 pletely, believing one shoot "in the hand (or at all 

 events securely tied up) to be worth two in the bush." 

 It is regularly done, however, in many large nurseries, 

 even with the tenderest Teas. 



K 2 



