268 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



years growth, (except for the earliest budding,) 

 I pare out a section, with a leaf and a good 

 looking bud, in its axilla, about one-fourth from 

 the lower end, the whole section being a little 

 longer than the vertical cut, above named. — 

 I now gently hoist the angles of bark, just 

 above the cross-cut with the point of my knife, 

 then, with my wedge, I carefully elevate the 

 bark to the top of the vertical one, on both its 

 sides. Then taking the bud between the fore- 

 finger and thumb of the left hand, with the cut 

 surface towards me, I insert the point of the 

 wedge, between the wood and bark and deli- 

 cately avoiding bruising or laceration, I slide the 

 wedge between them from top to bottom, until 

 they are separated. If the pulpy germ of the 

 bud be torn out of its casement, I throw it away 

 and try again. Next, with my wedge — which 

 I keep constantly, while budding, in my hand 

 or between my lips — I raise the bark of the 

 stock, and with the stem of the bud in my right 

 hand — its leaf being nearly all cut away — I in- 

 sert the point of the bud under the before-men- 

 tioned angles of bark and cautiously insinuate 

 its point to the top of the vertical incision. I 

 now lay my knife across the bark of the bud, 

 exactly over the cross cut in the stock, and clip 

 off its lower end. Then with gentle firmness, 

 but not very lightly — lest the bud be strangu- 

 lated — I wrap a woollen ligature from bottom 

 to top of the part operated on, to keep out air 

 and water and to preserve close contact of sur- 

 faces. In the application of the ligature I think 

 six or eight gyrations sufficient, as a continuous 

 rolling impedes circulation and strangulates. 



The after-treatment is important. The buds, 

 whether in the nursery or orchard must be 

 watched. If, from growth of the stock, the 

 string begin to bury, it must be untied. Should 

 a bud begin to vegetate, the top of the stock 

 should be cut away closely above it and such 

 further trimming afforded as may throw suffi- 

 cient sap into the bud to insure its rapid growth. 

 If more buds than one are desired on the same 

 tree, they should never be on the same stem, but 

 on different limbs, to gain the benefit of natural 

 forks. An artificial bifurcation, made by a bud 

 growing from the side of a tree or limb, is not 

 strong enough to sustain its weight long. 



Fruit trees procured from the northern nurse- 

 ries are generally short-lived. But if grafts are 

 taken from them, on their arrival, or buds, before 

 they show signs of disease, healthy trees may 

 be produced. 



The seed of all fruit trees should be buried 

 deeply in the ground, in autumn, in little boxes, 

 and planted in the nursery, by the first of March. 

 If thus planted in the fall, moles and field-mice 

 are apt to find and eat them during the winter, 

 when other food for them is scarce. 



I neglected to say that in budding I make 

 the vertical incision above the traverse, for two 



reasons, because the water from rains is belter 

 excluded ; and because, were the cross-cut up- 

 permost, it might impede the descent of sap — 

 which always comes downward through the 

 bark — to the bud. 



There are abundant directions for grafting, 

 before the public. On this subject I will only 

 say, that on small stocks I prefer what is called 

 slope grafting. I perform the operation at any 

 time, in winter, by the fireside, and bury my 

 grafts until spring. On taking them up to plant, 

 in the spring, I find a knotty excrescence is 

 thrown out from the cut surfaces, which insures 

 the adhesion of the parts. I sometimes plant 

 them in the nursery, directly after grafting, even 

 in winter, leaving only the top bud above the 

 surface, and covering with straw or other litter 

 to keep off cold. This plan has succeeded very 

 well. 



I have said enough, and perhaps too much, 

 on fruit-raising. I will now conclude, by telling 

 you what you must, as an agricultural editor, 

 have long since discovered, that the want of 

 will and industry, more than the want of know- 

 ledge, is the cause of failure, among Virginians. 

 For instance, it requires less dexterity of mani- 

 pulation to learn to bud trees well, than it does 

 to make a good pen, and I would sooner under- 

 take to teach the first art than the latter. But 

 I often hear men say, " Oh, what a fine orchard 

 I would soon have if I only could learn to bud." 

 Teach them the art — show how simple it is, and 

 without ever trying much, they will in a few 

 days make the same wishful exclamation. Such 

 men desire exceedingly to know all that is pub- 

 lished in the " Planter." They subscribe for it, 

 but soon neglect to read it ; at any rate, neglect 

 to pay for it, until after considerable accumula- 

 tion of dues, a dun comes, they pay off and dis- 

 continue — feeling it really too troublesome to 

 find ways of sending punctually, every year, a 

 single dollar all the way to the city of Rich- 

 mond. But they exceedingly desire to know all 

 that is published in the "Planter" and hate to give 

 it up. The truth, sir, is that he who really wants 

 a good orchard, or to read the "Planter," or to 

 attain any thing within the range of our capa- 

 bilities, even though it be the hardest thing of 

 all, for poor human nature to be a good man, will 

 succeed, and all others, more or less, fail. 

 With best wishes, yours, &c. 



Medicus. 



Cumberland, Nov. 6, 18.46. 



P. S. — I forgot to say that in budding trees 

 of the walnut family, I cover all the wounded 

 surface with softened beeswax, to exclude air, 

 leaving the bud itself, however, peeping out. 



PARROTS. 



I last year commenced raising carrots for 

 stock, and, although some of my neighbors 



