84 



FORCING THE BUDS. 



In order to force the buds to push, uniformly after they have healed 

 on it is necessary to severely check the growth of the stock This is 

 most commonly accomplished in nursery trees by lopping the tops, as it 

 is called, which is usually done from three to five days after the wraps 

 are removed from the buds. The lopping is usually done with pruning 

 scissors, the knife ed^e being placed about 2 inches above the bud and 

 the stock cut two-thirds through. The top is then bent over to one side- 

 and allowed to rest on the ground. 



To provide for subsequent cultivation and attention it is necessary to 

 use some definite plan of budding and lopping in the nursery. Two 

 methods most commonly followed by Florida nurserymen are to lop the 

 tops of two adjoining rows into the same centre, keeping the alternate 

 centres free for cultivation, or to lop the tops of alternate rows in diffe- 

 rent directions, one row in each centre, and place them near the yo\^s. 

 By the latter method a cultivator may be run up one row and down the 

 other, passing always in the direction in which the tops are inclined so 

 that the branches will not interfere with the cultivator. Usually the 

 old tops are allowed to remain attached until the buds have attained a 

 height of from 12 to 18 inches, after which they may be cut off. 



Some nurserymen have found that the buds make a larger growth if 

 the old tops are allowed to remain attached through the summer and 

 are cut off in September. If this practice is followed, two rows of trees 

 should be lopped together. The tops thus form a dense shade or sort of 

 mulch on the soil, keeping it moist and preventing the weeds from 

 growing. In this case it is also desirable that the rows lopped together 

 should be planted rather close (about 3 feet apart,) for if this is not done 

 the weeds will grow up among the tops, making it necessary to cut off 

 the latter when the buds are 1 foot to 18 inches high in order to keep 

 the weeds down. In the case of vigorous-growing stocks, like the rough- 

 lemon, it is said to be very desirable to leave the tops attached for some 

 time. 



When the old tops are removed, the portion remaining above the bud 

 should be cut off smooth and close to the bud, so that it will soon heal 

 over without forming an ugly scar. !Some follow the practice of coating 

 the freshly cut end with schellac, but others working on an exten- 

 sive scale never do this. It is seldom that any noticeable benefit is de- 

 rived from the practice. 



Growth of the Buds. 



The attachment of the rapidly growing bud is at first very weak and 

 it is necessary to strengthen it by tying to a stake Some nurserymen 

 practice cutting the stock rather high in lopping, and support the buds 

 for a time by tying them to the remaining portion of the stock. The 

 buds push much better, however, when the stocks are cut very close in 

 lopping, so that it is hardly desirable to depend upon this method of 

 supporting the buds, as in either case it is necessary later to supply the 

 supporting stakes. 



The development of the buds sbould be carefully watched during 

 grummer, and they should be pruned in such a way as to produce a top 

 of the desired shape. In Florida, where a low tree is desired, it is neces- 

 sary to nip the tops when they are 2 or 3 feet high to induce branch- 

 ing. The buds which push low down on the stock or bud should be 



