INOCULATION, OR BUDDING. 



167 



done, observe whether the eye or gem of the bud remams 

 perfect ; if not, and a little hole appears in that part, it is 

 improper, or, as gardeners express it, the bud has lost its 

 root, and another must be prepared. This done, placing 

 the back part of the bud or shield between your lips, expe- 

 ditiously, with the flat haft of the knife, separate the bark 

 of the stock on each side of the perpendicular cut, clear to 

 the wood, for the admission of the bud, w^hich directly slip 

 down, close between the wood and bark to the bottom of 

 the slit. The next operation is to cut off the top part of 

 the shield, and protrude granulated matter between it and 

 the wood, so as to effect a living union. The parts are now 

 to be immediately bound round with a ligament of fresh 

 bass, previously soaked in water to render it pliable and 

 tough, beginning a little below the bottom of the perpen- 

 dicular slit, proceeding upward, closely round every part, 

 except just over the eye of the bud, and continue it a little 

 above the horizontal cut, not too tight, but just sufficient 

 (o keep the whole tight, and exclude the air, sun, and 



Vv'Ct. 



" Shield-budding reversed^ or reversed X budding^ differs 

 from the former In having the transverse cut made at the 

 bottom of the perpendicular slit, instead of at its top, and, of 

 course, the shield is reversed in its position. This mode is 

 represented as preferable to the other, by such as contend 

 that the sap rises in the bark equally w^ith the wood ; but 

 as this opinion is now generally considered as exploded, 

 the first, or T mode, may justly be considered as the most 

 Skcientific mode of budding. 



" Scalope-biidding consists in paring a thin, tongue-shaped 

 section of bark from the side of the stock ; and in taking a 

 similar section from the shoot of buds, in neither case 

 removing the wood. The section or shield containing the 

 hud is then laid on the corresponding scollop in the stock : 

 its upper edge exactly fitted, as in shield-budding, and at 

 least one of its edges, as in whip-grafting. After this, it is 

 tied in the usual way. The advantages of this mode are, 

 that it can be performed when the wood and bark do not 

 separate freely ; on trees having very stiff, thick, suberose 

 [cork-like] barks, aiid at any season of the year. Its dis- 

 advantages are, that it requires longer time to perform the 

 operation, and is less certain of success. The French gar- 

 deners often bud their roses in this manner in spring ; and 

 if they fail, they have a second chance in July, by using the 

 common mode. 



