ITS CULTUEE IN CALIFOKNIA. 



37 



'tjight inches, convenient for liandling. At 

 the same time cut otf the leaves, severmg 

 the stem close to the buds. If the leaves 

 -are allowed to remain they draw the sap 

 'from the stock, weakening the buds. The 

 points of thorns may be clipped to avoid 

 :annoyance in handling. If the buds are 

 to be kept any time or shipped, the twigs 

 should be packed in some damp material. 

 The green moss which forms on the sur- 

 face of ponds or reservoirs exposed to the 

 sun furnishes an excellent wrapping wlien 

 •dried. This should be dampened only 

 •enough to keep the stems from drying 

 out, and they maybe thus kept a fortnight 

 -or more without damage. While budding- 

 keep the principal part of your stock cov- 

 ered with a damp cloth, having only a 

 stick or two in hand at a time. 



Cutting the Buds.— Hold the stick in 

 (the left hand, top toward your body ; fore- 

 finger sustaining the stick below the bud, 

 and thumb far enough above the bud to 

 be out of danger from the knife. Com- 

 ^mencing about a half inch below the bud, 

 I make a slanting cut into the twig, raising 

 'the bark and a thin shaving of wood be- 

 aieath it. Draw the knife forward with a 

 straight cut underneath the bud, and when 

 this has been severed, with the bark and 

 wood adhering, bring the edge to the sur- 

 face with a rounding motion. 



The slip thus taken is about an inch 

 ilong: the part below the bud a half inch, 

 the bud and leaf stem a quarter, and the 

 part above the bud a quarter. It is neces- 

 sary to take only a very little wood from 

 the twig in serving the bud. I have 

 known pains-taking nurserymen, when 

 -operating on young stock, to hollow out 

 the under side of the bud longitudinally, 

 ■so as to make it conform more closely to 

 ithe body of the tree to which it was ap- 

 plied. The knife used for taking off buds 

 should have a keen edge. 



Cutting the Stocks and Inserting 

 THE Buds.— At a point not more than six 

 inches from the ground select a smooth 



place on the stock and make a short per- 

 pendicular incision. This is called the 

 longitudinal cut. The knife simply pene- 

 trates the bark. The cut should not be 

 longer than the bud (one inch), and if the 

 bark is free it may be somewhat less, as 

 the lower end of the bud-base can pass 

 under the bark when shoved down, mak- 

 ing it more secure and requiring less ty- 

 ing. At the top end of the longitudinal 

 cut make a transverse cut long enough to 

 admit the bud. In maicing the transverse 

 cut incline the edge of the knife down- 

 ward, and then, as the bark is penetrated, 

 spread the gash by twisting the knife up- 

 ward and carrying the knife outward from 

 the tree. In so doing be careful not to 

 tear the bark. This completes the incis- 

 ion. Next pass the lower prong of the 

 bud-base in at the place where the two 

 cuts cross, and, with the thumb of the 

 right hand, press the bud down gently 

 into the opening. Instead of using the 

 thumb, which might in some instances 

 bruise the bud, some budders insert the 

 point of the budding knife in the bud- 

 base, just above the bud, and press down 

 with that. While the bud is being shoved 

 into position the thumb and fore-finger of 

 the left hand should be pressed against 

 the bark on each side of the longitudinal 

 cut to assist in guiding the bud and to 

 prevent a rupture of the bark. When the 

 top of the bud -base is even with the trans- 

 verse cut it is in proper position. The 

 base is then nearly or quite inclosed in 

 the bark, and the bud with its leaf-stem 

 and thorn (if it have a thorn) protrudes 

 just below the point where the cuts cross. 



Tying. — One of the pieces of twine al- 

 ready prepared is then passed about the 

 tree, making usually three wraps above 

 the bud and two below, the tying being 

 done so that there is one wrap less on the 

 side opposite the bud. The twine should 

 be drawn so tight that it can not be easily 

 slipped, and should pass close to the eye 

 of the bud above and below. The bud 

 first adheres at the upper extremity, and 

 especial care should be taken to have it 

 well wrapped there. 



Indications. — In between two and six 

 weeks after the insertion of the buds, if 

 they adhere to the stock, the leaf stem, 

 next the bud will begin to loosen and 



