DESCRIPTION OF BUDDING, 39 



any way ragged ; you then look, (and in this 

 it is necessary to be very particular.) to see if 

 taking out the wood has injured the bud, which 

 it will do in various ways; sometimes it will draw 

 all the centre of the bud out, which renders the 

 bud of no use whatever ; sometimes it will leave 

 the bud very hollow ; in that case they are 

 doubtful ; therefore if you are not short of cut- 

 tings, do not make use of one bud unless it is 

 quite plump and level with the inside rind, and 

 then you may almost make a certainty of its 

 growing; on the contrary, you cannot depend 

 on them, for they will often keep alive to all 

 appearance even through the winter, but will 

 not shoot in spring ; in fact, this is one of the 

 most nice points in budding ; having your bud 

 ready, you next proceed to open the incision in 

 the stock or tree ; the incision is made nearly 

 in the form of a letter T, cutting through the 

 rind first at the top about half way round the 

 stock, then commencing with your knife about 

 two inches lower down, draw your knife up to 

 the cut at the top, and before you take your 

 knife out, gently open the rind on one side. 



