The Garden Magazine, March, 1921 
43 
place. If desired, the wood may be removed from the bud 
by squeezing it at the middle between the thumb and forefinger 
and catching the separating layer of wood between the knife 
and forefinger and pulling it off, if it does not fall out when the 
bud is squeezed. Some budders habitually remove the wood, 
but this practice does not usually bring better results. 
The bud should be cut by a single, smooth, even stroke and 
the knife should be under perfect control all the time. It is 
easier to make such a stroke if one will begin it with the base 
of the knife blade, holding the knife so that its length forms 
an angle of about forty-five degrees with the length of the bud 
stick (not a right angle, as the beginner is likely to make) and 
will draw the knife lengthwise some- 
what as he makes the cut. At the be- 
ginning of the stroke the right hand, 
except the thumb (which is against the 
left thumb), is about two thirds of an 
inch from contact with the left hand. 
The forefinger, clasped around the han- 
dle, is kept between the right thumb 
( and the blade; and the right thumb in 
turn shields the left one; so there is no 
danger of cutting oneself in cutting the 
bud, if these directions be followed, un- 
less the knife should goentirely through 
the bud stick. Fig. 2 shows the stroke 
two-thirds completed. The cut as 
shown there will be finished largely by 
drawing the knife lengthwise. The 
right thumb will be placed upon the 
upper end of the bud, as it is about to 
be severed. As the cut is being com- 
pleted, the bud should rest on the blade 
near its end, and, by making an up- 
ward pull as the forward motion is 
completed, the cut may be finished 
without leaving any shreds of bark at 
the upper end of the bud. 
The bud should be inserted at once, 
by pushing its pointed base through 
the crescent shaped cut of the T in- 
cision, still holding it between the 
thumb and knife blade; or it may be 
held between the blade and forefinger 
.as shown in Fig. 4. The second 
method involves an extra movement, 
but is more easily executed. This 
should put the bud nearly half way 
into place. Next grasp the leaf stalk, 
which was left as a handle for the bud, 
between the thumb and forefinger and 
push downward, lifting slightly outward 
upon the point of the bud at the same 
time, to make it slip into place more smoothly. Or it may be 
necessary to hold the leaf stalk between the forefinger and the 
knife blade in making this movement. If this be done, the fore- 
finger is on the under side of the leaf stalk and the back of the 
blade near the point is against the upper side. If the leaf stalk 
should have broken off, press the point of the bladegently into the 
leaf scar sufficiently to get a hold, then push the bud down. The 
bud should extend below the base of the longitudinal cut. If 
any part of it should protrude above the incision when it is in 
position, cut it off by pressing the knife blade squarely against 
it at the crescent cut. 
Tying on the Bud 
T HE bud should now be tied firmly in place by wrapping a 
strip of raffia, carpet warp, or similar material, about a 
foot long, spirally around it from the base upward. The 
binding material should be brought as closely to the “germ” 
above and below as may be done without injuring it. The 
carpet warp may be applied a little more rapidly than the raffia 
and is not so likely to become loose afterwards; but it cuts into 
the bark more, as the stock grows after budding. 
A quick and satisfactory method of wrapping the bud, using 
carpet warp, is as follows: secure the lower end of the string 
at or below the base of the longitudinal cut on the stock by 
wrapping two turns of the string tightly across it. Continue 
the spiral upward, making as many as three turns below the 
“germ” and four or five above, the last one tightly closing the 
flaps of bark at the crescent shaped cut. To secure the upper 
end of the string, hold the thumb and forefinger as shown in 
Fig. 5, and bring the string around them at the last lap, then 
slip the free end between them from 
below and with them pull through the 
loop, quickly and tightly in the direc- 
tion in which it has been wrapped. If 
raffia be used, have it damp, to make it 
hold better; or have the lower end left 
long, in starting the wrapping, and ex- 
tended to the top of the bud under all 
the turns, where it is tied with the 
other end into a bow knot. 
Successful or Not 
it will do so 
within two weeks. If the “germ” 
should have its natural color and ap- 
pearance and there should be no signs 
of shriveling or browning upon the bark 
of the bud, it has probably “taken.” 
If the bark should show green when 
pricked through the epidermis with a 
knife, it is alive. This method, how- 
ever, should not be used unnecessarily. 
The string that has bound the bud 
should now be cut. A stroke of a 
knife that severs every turn, on the side 
of the stock opposite the bud, is the 
quickest method. The wound thus 
made will heal quickly. In case the 
bud should have failed to unite, another 
can be inserted, if the bark should still 
be loose. It is a safe plan for the be- 
ginner to insert two or more buds for 
each one needed, to increase his chances 
of success, and save the stronger shoot, 
if both should grow. 
If the bark should be tight, it seldom 
pays to force it loose to insert a bud. 
Frequently, however, a young seedling 
may be budded, just below the surface 
of the ground, by removing a little soil, 
when the bark has become tight above. 
The bark is also likely to remain loose longer just below a branch. 
Do not prune or seriously disturb a seedling that is to be 
budded, unless the budding be done within a few minutes or 
delayed a few days, for such a disturbance causes the bark to 
become tight. 
There has been much controversy about which side of a young 
trunk affords the best position for the bud. The writer has 
tried all sides without finding any material difference in the 
results. There is probably a little less danger of the young 
sprout from the bud being broken off by the wind, if it be 
placed upon the west side, as its hold upon the stock is very 
frail for about two months and the prevailing winds over most 
of our country are from the west. 
A cool, quiet, cloudy day without rain is preferable for budding, 
because there is less drying of the cut surface of the bud on such 
a day, before it can be inserted. But good results may be ob- 
tained by quickness and skill even in the hottest, brightest 
weather. 
F THE bud “takes, 
5. Fastening the bud in place A is 
loop brought around thumb and fore- 
finger; B is free end of wrapping brought 
between thumb and forefinger, and 
hanging down The arrow indicates 
direction in which free end of string is 
to be pulled and then looped 
