264 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
July, 
fruit to tlie Buckwheat, its common name, was, 
naturally enough, applied. It is one of the sev- 
eral climbing species of Polygonum (some with 
very rough stems), and is a vigorous grower, its 
twining stems run- 
ning to the length 
of ten or twelve 
feet or more, and 
often completely 
draping bushes and 
brush - heaps with 
its broad, heart- 
shaped leaves, from 
amongstwhich arise 
the numerous loose 
and irregular flow- 
er clusters, which 
are some three 
inches long. The 
flowers are green- 
ish, often edged 
with white or pur- 
plish, and in fruit 
the enclosing calyx 
has a broad white 
wing, which makes 
the plant conspicu- 
ous and not in- 
elegant. It does not 
make much show 
until late in sum- 
mer, being in perfection in August and Septem- 
ber. The seeds are a favorite food of birds. 
Another species very like this, but smaller in 
nil its parts, is the Black Bindweed (Polygonum 
convolvulus), which is often common in culti- 
vated grounds, and sometimes troublesome. 
Budding. 
these elementary matters at short intervals. In 
July, 1866, we gave a full illustrated account of 
the process of budding, which we think will 
enable any one to perform the operation with 
Grafting and budding are methods of propa- 
gating plants alike in principle but differing in 
detail. The most important differences are that 
in grafting we use buds of the previous year 
inserted into the stock with a considerable por- 
tion of the twig upon which they grew, and the 
grafts, being- inserted early in the season, are ex- 
pected to develop the same season. In budding, 
we use buds that have been formed the same 
year, insert them late in the season with as little 
as possible of the twig on which they grew, or 
none at all, and (in the case of fruit trees in all 
northern localities) we insert them so late in the 
season that wc do not expect them to push into 
Fig. 1. — BUDDING WITH A CROSS-SHAPED INCISION. 
growth until the year following that in which 
they are inserted. "We have numbers of letters 
asking about budding, as we do about those of 
other operations in horticulture. We can not, 
even to please our many new readers, repeat 
climbing buckwheat. — (Polygonum dumelorum.) 
success, and we must refer our friends who 
have asked for instruction in budding to this 
article. Besides, in " Barry's Fruit Garden," a 
work which should be in the hands of every 
fruit-grower, this (and all other operations in 
in fruit culture) is explained in full. 
the bellows-stmnge. — (See page 263.) 
Budding, which is called in Europe "shield- 
grafting" and "bud-grafting," is performed at 
any time when well-developed buds can be pro- 
cured and the stock is in active growth. For 
fruit trees, with us, it extends with the different 
varieties from July to September. In answer 
to the inquiry if a tree is better for being 
budded or grafted, we reply: If the tree is a 
good one, of clean, healthy growth, with what- 
ever cutting has been done, whether in budding 
or in grafting, healed or healing over, it would 
make no difference to us by which of the two 
methods the tree was produced. Budding is 
sometimes called inoculating, a term which 
those who have received their ideas of inocula- 
tion from vaccination gives a wrong impression. 
Many think that something is by budding or 
inoculation introduced into the system of the 
tree which so changes its character that it will 
bear better fruit. This is an unfortunate error, 
and those who hold it should understand that 
budding is simply planting a bud from a tree 
that we know to be good beneath the bark of 
one that we either know to be bad, or, as is 
generally the case, know nothing about. 
Referring to the sources already quoted for 
information about the ordinary method of bud- 
ding, we give an account of two modifications 
which are sometimes found useful, especially 
by nurserymen. 
Several years ago we received from M. Charles 
Baltet, of Troyes, France, a copy of his "VArl 
de Greffer," "The 
Art of Grafting," a 
completely exhaus- 
tive manual, giving 
every known meth- 
od of gracing and 
budding, with copi- 
ous illustrations- 
M. Baltet is an emi- 
nent French horti- 
culturist, and this 
work of his is one 
of the most valu- 
able in horticultural 
literature, and we 
are glad to know 
that it has been 
translated into Eng- 
lish and published 
by Wm. Robinson, 
editor of " The Gar- 
den." "We have re- 
ceived an advanced 
copy of the trans- 
lation and are quite 
sure that a book 
of its value will 
find its way into the stock of our publishers. 
The modifications of budding to which we 
refer are to meet particular conditions. In 
some ornamental trees the bud is too large to be 
held conveniently inserted in the ordinary way 
of budding. In this case the bud is cut long, as 
in A, fig. 1, a cross-shaped 
incision made as in B, and 
the bud inserted as in C. 
Treated in this manner, 
the bud can be held by 
a ligature both above and 
below. This plan is fol- 
lowed in European nur- 
series with the chestnut. 
The second method is 
with an incision just 
the reverse of the or- 
dinary one. Generally, 
the cross incision is made above the longitudinal 
one, but it is sometimes better to make it below, 
as in fig. 2, which shows the bud, the incision 
in the stock, and the bud inserted. This is 
used upon stocks where there is a flow of sap 
so great as to interfere with the union of bud 
-AN INVERTED T INCISION. 
Fig.: 
and stock, as in the maples in cold countries 
and the orange in warm ones. There are nu- 
merous other modifications of budding, for 
which we refer those desirous of learning all 
that is known about this kind of propagation, as 
well as grafting proper, to the book itself. 
