May 12, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
371 
12th 
TH 
Royal Society at 4.30 P.M. 
13 th 
F 
14th 
S 
Royal Botanic Society at 3.45 p.M. 
15th 
SUN 
4xn SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 
16th 
M 
17th 
TU 
18th 
W 
Meteorological Society at 7 P.M., and Society of Arts at 8 P.M. 
DISBUDDING. 
ISBUDDING is the removal of growths not 
only not necessary, but absolutely pre¬ 
judicial to the perfecting of the present and 
future crops of fruit. It may be contended 
that no disbudding occurs in nature ; but no 
one can fail to see that the strong outgrow and 
J destroy the weak, until the most crowded branches 
are rendered destitute of buds by the exclusion of light 
and air. We do not find acorns in the interior of 
spreading Oaks, nor Apples in the centre of an un¬ 
pruned Apple tree, but the fruit is borne on parts enjoying 
full exposure to the sun. 
Disbudding as an art of culture is essential ; first, to prevent 
the production of parts not required ; second, to prevent waste 
of alimentary matter ; and third, to preserve the symmetry 
of the trees. 
Disbudding is considered essential in the successful cul¬ 
tivation of plants or trees. All are agreed as to its necessity 
for producing superior flowers or fruit, excepting a small 
minority who are better satisfied with quantity than quality. 
Such will cling to a cluster of three small Roses, just as if one 
exhibition bloom was not better ; and to standard fruit trees 
as the only method of obtaining profitable results. But those 
holding these views are in a minority, by far the greater 
majority preferring, and most worthily, to produce the highest 
examples of culture. Summer pruning may be disbelieved in 
or neglected, and growths allowed to be made that will rob 
whilst active, and be cut away when at rest after the mischief 
is done. The disbudder acts differently ; he allows no new 
parts to be formed but those essential to the formation of the 
tree, the perfecting of the present crop of fruit, and making 
provision for future crops. 
It is only of late years that disbudding and summer pruning 
have become part of the practice of cultivators. I am old enough 
to remember when those operations were almost nil, and the 
winter pruning and nailing of fruit trees no pleasant operation. 
Happily things are changed. The minds of some may linger 
over the “ good old times,” but few, I imagine, would like a 
return to them, certainly not to old-fashioned winter pruning, 
which can only have this much said in its favour, that pro¬ 
vision was made in summer for plenty of work in winter. 
It is generally conceded that disbudding exercises a check 
upon the growth, especially of the roots, from the well-known 
circumstance of there being reciprocal action between the roots 
in the soil and the growth above ground. Examine a plant, 
herbaceous or ligneous, when starting into growth, and its roots 
will be found in a more active state than appears necessary 
for the requirements of the plants at that time. If this were 
not the case any operation interfering with the roots would not 
be better performed when the growth was completed, yet 
whilst there is foliage to induce the emission of fresh roots so 
that the plant or tree may feel no loss of them, as would be 
the case if the operation were done between the fall of the 
leaf and starting into growth. Transplanting fruit trees or 
lifting and transplanting Vines is not advisable in spring, be¬ 
cause there are no active roots then, but the stored-up sap in 
ripened wood is usually sufficient to maintain vitality until 
food-supplying roots are formed. Ripe wood cuttings will 
root although every bud be removed ; therefore leaf-develop¬ 
ment is not absolutely essential to root-formation, and unless 
this were the fact disbudding would be attended by disastrous 
consequences. Such, however, is not my experience when the 
work is carefully done ; it is only when done roughly and 
thoughtlessly by the ruthless removal of many growths and 
much foliage at one operation that the practice is injurious, as 
is shown in the Peach by the fruit dropping, in the Vine by 
the Grapes shanking, and in the Cucumber by the fruit 
gangrening and being stunted and deformed. 
Yet, while I do not advise anyone to leave a well-used road 
for a smooth untried byepath, I have been led to venture on 
what may seem a departure from the principles of disbudding 
by deviating somewhat from the stereotyped advice given on 
the subject—namely, “ Don’t be in a hurry in disbudding, and 
only remove a few shoots at a time.” Now, in Peach and 
Nectarine trees there are shoots that have only a wood bud or 
two at their base and another at the extremity, and between 
those are fruit buds, usually single. As a rule the blossoms 
on such set much better than on stronger shoots with triple 
buds— i.e., two fruit buds, and a wood bud between them. A 
shoot of the former has only three wood buds, and of the 
latter a dozen, or even a score, whilst the difference in the 
number of fruit buds is not material. Clearly growth is not 
essential to secure a good set with the weak shoot, and if we 
remove every wood bud on a level with the bloom buds we 
secure a better set of fruit than with a growing shoot between 
every pair of blossoms. The set is not, therefore, dependant 
on the growth being allowed to extend to produce root action, 
for I apprehend the petals do more for the organs of fructifica¬ 
tion than any amount of leaf-development. To remove all the 
wood buds on a level with or above the blossom is, of course, 
fatal to the crop, and is only alluded to as showing that leaf- 
growth does little or nothing towards aiding the blossom of the 
Peach and Nectarine to set. A little consideration will show 
that this very early disbudding is not really in conflict with 
the principles above mentioned, as removing the buds before 
the foliage has formed cannot be regarded as removing a large 
quantity at one time. On the contrary, it prevents the necessity 
or excuse for that dangerous practice ; it prevents also the 
strong leaf-growths appropriating the sap that is required by the 
embryo fruit; therefore I submit it is sound practice to remove 
very early a portion of the wood buds where they abound 
amongst the blossom. As soon, therefore, as the buds com¬ 
mence swelling I begin disbudding, and by the time the 
flowers are fully expanded I have no more growths advancing 
than are necessary to effect the maturity of the fruit and to 
make provision for future crops. This is simply to have a 
growth at the base of the present bearing wood and another 
No. 46 ,-Vol. II., Third Series. 
2tO. 1702.— YOL. LXV., OLD SERIES 
