172 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



FIG. 3. 



and the method of taking the bud. First of all the leaf is cut off about half an inch 

 above the eye, as shown at A. Now insert a sharp knife about an inch above the bud (see B) 

 and cut it out. In practice it is found better not to bring the knife quite through, but to tear 

 off a portion of the bark, as shown by the detached bud C. This greatly facilitates the 



removal of that small portion of Rosewood covering the seat or 

 root of the eye. The piece of wood must be detached, as unless 

 the root — which will be referred to later — can rest upon the wood 

 of the stock the whole operation will fail. Turn back the strip 

 of bark, and the point of wood (D) will be easy to seize, when 

 it must be snatched or jerked out. It is better to take a 

 downward direction, commencing from the back of the bud ; 

 but should any wood still remain, it can generally be picked out 

 from the opposite direction. As a matter of fact, unless this 

 slight portion of Rosewood comes away easily the bud is not 

 in a fit condition. Now cut off the bark as shown at E, and 

 the root or seat of the eye should show prominently inside 

 this portion (see F). Unless this seat or root be down so that 

 it can rest fairly upon the young wood of the stock, they 

 cannot form a union. If the bud is too old or the reverse, the root will tear away with 

 the portion of Rosewood and leave a tiny hole often as large as a pin's head. Such a 

 bud is useless. 



Fig. 2 illustrates the method of preparing the stock' and inserting the bud. Make a 

 cut lengthwise of the stock as at A, and this may be ijin. long, just penetrating the bark. 

 The cross cut at B is simply to render the operation of lifting the bark more easy. Use 

 the handle of a budding-knife, or a piece of thin ivory, and gently raise the bark without 

 disturbing the glutinous sap between it and the wood more than can be avoided. Now slip 

 the end of the prepared bud beneath the raised bark (C) and slide it down to the end of 

 the cut (D). The next operation is to tie it in securely and firmly, but without undue 

 constriction, leaving the bud exposed as at E. One must consider where to insert the bud. 

 Our illustration portrays a dwarf stock raised from a cutting, such, for example, as the Manetti, 

 De la Grifferaie, or Briar might be ; but a dwarf from a seedling would need working in 

 the same way. It will be seen that the bud is inserted as close as possible upon the 

 roots. This is to avoid suckers from the stock, 

 and to get the future Rose bush sufficiently low, 

 so that valuable shoots may issue from its base. 

 When budding a standard stock the buis are 

 placed in the side branches or shoulders, again 

 being careful to insert as near to the main stem 

 as possible. Continental growers frequently bud 

 their standards in the main stem, but they use a 

 much younger stock than is general here. 



Budding should be done during July and 

 August as far as possible ; but it is obvious 

 that one must be guided by the season and 

 condition of stock and bud. 



Fig. 3 is a rough illustration of a half- 

 ripened cutting taken from a growing shoot, 

 a faded bloom, and also those that failed to 

 growing, are in excellent condition for this class of cutting. They should be from 4m. 

 to 6in. long, and removed with a small portion of the older wood, as shown by the 

 dotted lines at A. Longer growths, so long as about half matured, will also root if cut 



FIG 4. 



Generally speaking, the growths below 

 produce a flower, and yet have stopped 



