MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, & c . mi 



pen-knife, or what is commonly called a budding-knife, 

 having a flat haft (the ufe of which is, to raife the bark of the 

 flock to admit the bud), and fome found bafs mat, which 

 fhould be foaked in water to increafe its ftrength, and make, 

 it more pliable ; then, having taken off cuttings from the 

 trees that you would propagate, you fhould choofe a fmooth 

 part of the flock, about five or fix inches above the furface of. 

 the ground, if defigned for dwarfs, and for half-ftandards at 

 three feet ; but, for flandards, they fhould be budded fix or 

 more feet above the ground ; then with your knife make an 

 horizontal cut acrofs the rind of the flock, and from the 

 middle of that cut make a flit downwards about two inches in 

 length ; fo that it may be in the form of a T : but you mult 

 be careful not to cut too deep, left you wound the flock : 

 then, having cut off the leaf from the bud, leaving the foot- 

 flalk remaining, you fhould make a crofs cut about half an; 

 inch below the eye, and with your knife flit off the bud with., 

 part of the wood to it, in form of an efcutcheon : this done, 

 you muft with your knife pull off that part of the wood which 

 was taken with the bud, obferving whether the eye of the 

 bud be left to it or not (for all thofe buds which lofe their 

 eyes in ftripping fhould be thrown away, being good for no- 

 thing) ; then having gently raifed the bark of the flock where 

 the crofs incifion was made, with the flat haft or handle of your 

 knife clear of the wood, you fhould thruft the bud therein, 

 obferving to place it fmooth between the rind and the wood 

 of the flock, cutting off any part of the rind belonging to 

 the bud which may be too long for the flit made in the flock ; 

 and, having thus exa&ly fitted the bud to the flock, you muft 

 tie them clofely round with bafs mat, beginning at the under 

 part of the flit, and fo proceed to the top ; taking care thar 



you 



