133 



THE ART 0? 



inserted just above the upper incision, and driven in a slanting 

 direction as far as the alburnum ; then carried along towards 

 the lower incision, following the course of the dotted line 

 (g } g, F), and observing the bending at g r just under the bud. 

 In consequence of the first two incisions {f f), the bud conies 

 out, as shown at H, cut clean at both ends. At the back there 

 is no wood except under the bud : this little woody tube is its 

 germ, so to speak, and, without it, it would not grow. Should 

 there be a splinter of alburnum attached above and below it, 

 it should be seized by the upper end and pulled off smartly ; if 

 taken by the lower end, there is danger of tearing off the germ 

 along with it, and the bud, if deprived of this, will not grow. 

 jSTevertheless, if the sap of the stock is in full flow, there will 

 be no harm in leaving a small particle of wood under the bark 

 of the shield-bud; it will help to render the union of the parts 

 more intimate. A skilful operator seldom or never removes 

 this little piece of alburnum, as he knows that by doing so he 

 would run the risk of injuring the bud or of exposing it too 

 long to the air. When he has an abundant supply of scions, he 

 does not hesitate to throw away any bud that happens to have 

 been removed in a doubtful condition, and use another in its 

 stead. Scarcely will he lose time in trimming squarely the 

 ends that may have been cut irregularly. Some oj)erator3 

 proceed in a different way, among whom M. Edouard Andre- 

 holds the scion -branch head downwards, and removes the bud 

 by passing the knife in a direction contrary to that which has 

 been described. The strip of bark, having the form of an 

 antique shield, square at the top and narrow at the base, is 

 easily inserted into the stock. 



Insertion of tlie Bud. 



The bud having been detached from the shoot, the bark of 

 the stock is opened by making two incisions with the grafting- 



