178 
BUDDING. 
the "shield" — a term given to that portion of bark which surrounds the bud, 
Now, let any one detach a bud with a piece of the bark, as described in the follow- 
ing lines, taken from Loudon's " Encyclopaedia of Gardening," 1826, No. 2057, 
and see what would be the almost inevitable result : it presumes that a shoot 
containing the buds required is in the hand. " Holding the cutting, or scion, in 
one hand, with the thickest end outward, and with the knife in the other hand, 
enter it about half an inch or more below a bud, cutting near half-way into the 
wood of the shoot, continuing it with one clean slanting cut about one inch or 
more above the bud, so as to take off part of the wood along with it, the whole 
about an inch and a half long ; then directly with the thumb and finger, or point of 
the knife, slip off the woody part remaining to the bud ; which done, observe 
whether the eye or gem of the bud remains perfect ; if not, and a little hole 
appears in that part, it is improper, or, as gardeners express it, the bud has lost 
its root, and another must be prepared." 
This " root" is that part of the woody matter which connected the bud with 
the alburnum of its native stock. Now, whether on tearing off the little strip of 
wood cut away, a hole in the eye appear, or not, certain it is that one of the 
essential, vital components of the bud has been removed in nine cases out of ten, 
and thus it has lost its fibro-ligneous, and central, medullary portions ; and so 
far at least is imperfect. It is, moreover, left hollow, with a cavity in the axis of 
its centre, which precludes the possibility of bringing it in close contact with the 
juicy alburnous surface of the stock. It is true, that in some few instances a 
fibre or two of ligneous matter may adhere so pertinaciously to the eye as to tear 
away, and separate itself from the strip of wood cut off with the bark, whence we 
find such buds succeed, while numbers perish, and never shoot, although the 
shield of bark let into the stock may live for months, in consequence of having 
adhered, as true liber, to the alburnum, against which, by the compression of the 
ligature, the contact has been rendered perfect. 
It becomes plain then, that the eye must have perished in consequence of being 
hollow beneath, so as never to have touched the wood below it ; and as that con- 
tact is indispensable, the system which implies the total removal of the wood must 
be delusive. 
To insure success therefore, — -the relative condition of the stock and scion being 
ascertained by the facility with which the bark rises from the green wood, and the 
moisture of both surfaces, — a free and even portion of the stock to be budded 
should be chosen, round which the ligature can pass without interruption. A twig 
being ready, furnished with three or four plump, but not far advanced eyes, the 
operator is to make the regular incisions with a very keen budding-knife, quite 
home to the wood of the stock, and then raise the edges of the bark clearly, and 
wide enough to insure the certain admission and passing of the strip of bark 
to its full length, allowing, also, from one-sixth to one-third of an inch clear space 
of bark to remain between the bud and the cross cut on the stock, in order to 
