494 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
July 21 
to believe that the figures given are substantially cor¬ 
rect. The hay will probably “sweat out” in the mow, 
and lose something of its weight, but it is well dried 
as it goes from the field, and is weighed as it goes 
into the barn. We must remember, however, that 
Mr. Clark is an expert in the production of grass. He 
ranks with J. H. Hale in the production of fine 
peaches, or F. G. Tice in the growing of fine straw¬ 
berries, or S. D. Willard in producing fine plums, or 
M. Garrahan in restoring the fertility of wornout 
farms, or Judge Wellhouse, of Kansas, in producing a 
magnificent crop of apples, or dozens of experts that 
we might mention. These men give the best energies 
and thoughts of their lives to the production of one 
crop which they love, and study and handle as ten¬ 
derly as they would a loved child. The result is that 
they come to understand and know just the needs and 
requirements of that crop; they anticipate its wants; 
they watch it with an eagle’s eye, and give it every 
possible advantage that human skill can bestow. 
The whole thing seems easy to them, for they have 
spent so many years in studying the crop that they 
do not realize how much they know about it. When 
they tell about their successes, they do not see why 
anybody else cannot reach the same wonderful possi¬ 
bilities. Yet, it is clear enough to the rest of us that 
we cannot start in at once, however carefully we fol¬ 
low their directions, and reach the same result. They 
show us the way, but we must take the journey step 
by step ourselves, and most of us fail because we are 
not willing to give the same loving care and attention 
to that crop which these experts have given. Yes, we 
believe that Mr. Clark’s grass crop is a reality. It 
shows the possibilities of intensive culture when ap¬ 
plied to grass. Can the average farmer get within 
hailing distance of these possibilities? That is an¬ 
other question. The only thing most of us can do for 
the next five or 10 years is to try it as hard as we 
can, and we shall find that, while we may not reach 
an average of five tons per acre by doing so, we shall 
greatly increase our present average of grass. 
Speaking of ordinary ways of seeding, Mr. Clark 
says: “A neighbor said his friend was turning his 
hard sod fiat over, and after haying rolling it firmly, 
then sowing his Timothy and Red-top, and thus get¬ 
ting a good stand. I have tried it in this way many 
times in 50 years; it has always been a failure. This 
method cuts off the subsoil water, the original grasses 
are transplanted, and soon return. It is in every way 
bad. Please advise whether you know of anyone 
making a success of the fine English grasses that 
way.” If any readers have tried this method, we 
shall be glad to hear from them. 
BUDDING MADE PLAIN. 
WHAT GRAFTING IS.—Every year there is lots 
of budding to be done, and although the art is a 
very simple one, there are many who do not under¬ 
stand it. While there are a number of styles of bud¬ 
ding, the same principle runs through them all. This 
is the same that we find in grafting—the growing to¬ 
gether of the soft substance lying between the bark 
and wood, which is called the cambium. When this 
is abundant and the stock and scion are both in a 
healthy and thrifty condition, it does not take long 
for them to unite. Grafting and budding are simply 
setting a part of a desirable kind of tree into one that 
is not desirable, thus making better fruit or hand¬ 
somer flowers or leaves grow than would have grown 
on the old stock. It is only an easy and quick way of 
transplanting above ground. It makes us sure of 
having exactly the same kind of tree that the one was 
from which the scions were taken. In grafting we 
generally use a piece of wood with several buds on it, 
but in budding we have little or no wood, and only 
one or more buds that are in one place. 
THE PRINCIPLE OF BUDDING.—Budding is near¬ 
ly always done on small seedling trees that are not 
larger, near the ground, than about half an inch in 
diameter. Larger ones, or the small branches of large 
trees may be budded, but they are rarely suitable, be¬ 
cause the contrast in size between the stock and bud 
is so great that too rank a growth is developed the 
first year, and not, as some suppose, because the 
bud will not take on a large stock, for it will, if 
other things are right. A weakly, stunted stock is 
not fit to receive a bud; for if it does grow fast it will 
rarely make much growth. The bark must peel read¬ 
ily, or the work will fail. During a very dry time 
budding is rarely successful, although after rain has 
fallen the same stocks may work very easily and the 
buds take well. The common style is known as 
“shield” budding, and is usually done in late Summer 
or early Autumn. Any time after the buds on the 
new growth are well formed and before the stocks 
have stopped growing it may be done. The first 
thing to be done is to get the scions. They should be 
cut from trees about which there is not the slightest 
doubt of the variety, and from the thriftiest part. 
The whole of the present year’s growth should be 
taken, and every leaf cut off quite close to the buds, 
as is shown in Fig. 164. Any weakly or undeveloped 
buds near the tip of the shoot should be cut away en¬ 
tirely. Such a scion is called a “bud stick.” Each 
variety should be tied in separate bundles and plainly 
labeled. If they are not to be set at once they should 
be wrapped in moist cloths, and in moss, wrapped in 
thick paper is better, and kept in a cool place. If 
properly packed they may be sent thousands of miles, 
or kept for a week or more, in perfect safety. Some 
tying material should be provided, with which to bind 
the bark of the stock firmly over the bud. One of the 
best and handiest things to get on the farm is the in¬ 
ner husks of corn. They are about long enough, are 
soft, and yet strong enough to serve the purpose. 
They should be kept moist and pliant. Strips of old 
calico or muslin will do very well. An imported fiber 
called raffia is used by nurserymen, and is the cheap¬ 
est if any large amount is necessary. Any of these 
•t M 
HOW TO INSERT THE BUD. Fig. 166. 
materials should be torn into strips not over half an 
inch wide. 
GUTTING THE STOCK.—The place to set a bud on 
a small stock is about three inches from the ground, 
and on any side that is most convenient. If a branch 
on a larger tree is to be budded, set the bud on the 
upper side; so the Shoot that grows from it the next 
season may press towards the stock by its own weight 
rather than from it. A smooth place should be se¬ 
lected to set the bud by trimming off all small 
branches or rubbing off leaves for a distance of three 
or four inches. This may be done several days be¬ 
forehand, i'f convenient, in order to have everything 
ready to do the budding. One person can do the 
work alone very conveniently, but two are better, if 
there is much to do, one inserting the buds and the 
other tying them. If several bud-sticks are taken 
out to the place of work at once they should be 
wrapped in some damp covering, or the butt ends 
kept in water. They must be fresh and plump. A 
very sharp knife is essential. Some seem to think 
that a regular budding knife is necessary, but any 
knife that is not very small or very large will do 
very well, provided it is made of good steel and will 
hold a shaving edge for a reasonable time. Nor do I 
want or need any bone, or ivory, or other tool to help 
in lifting the bark of the stock. The knife blade will 
do all that is necessary. If all things are ready, the 
work is by no means difficult. Cut a slip about an 
inch long on the stock, and set the knife crosswise at 
the top of this Slit, with the blade at an angle, as is 
represented in Fig. 165, and make a sort of rolling 
cross cut, by turning the blade outwards as the cut 
is being made. This will turn up the bark for a short 
distance, and make the insertion of the bud easy and 
without any further raising of the bark. 
SETTING THE BUD.—To cut the bud from the 
stock, take it in the left hand, as shown in Fig. 164. 
and begin to cut about half an inch towards the butt 
from the bud, and go just deep enough to take a little 
of the wood, and continue the same distance beyond 
the bud. The knife may be allowed to slope upwards 
and out, tnus severing the bud-shield from the stick; 
or, remove the knife when yet in the wood, and make 
a square cut to detach the shield. I usually prefer the 
latter way, which makes a shield with a square top, 
as is seen in Fig. 164, instead of a point at noth ends. 
Some persons take the wood out of the bud, but most 
do not. It takes less time to leave it in, and it is 
stiffer, and may be inserted more quickly and with 
less danger of injury. To set the bud, take it in the 
right hand and insert the point beneath the raised 
corners of the bark of the stock, and with the corner 
of the thumb pressing against the stump of the leaf 
stem, push at entirely under the bark. The raised 
bark can be seen at A in Fig. 166, and the bud haft 
way down at B. It should be tied quite soon, begin¬ 
ning from the back side and crossing the band back 
and forth until the bark is bound tightly over the 
shield, but being careful not to cover the bud. This 
is shown at 'C in Fig. 166. There is nothing more to 
do for at least two weeks, when the bands may be 
cut, and where any that have failed may be rebudded, 
if it is not too late in the season. 
DIFFICULTIES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS.—There 
is danger of setting buds that will not grow, and 
blanks in some cases. There are thousands of such 
set every year by those who do not know them when 
they see them. If a peach scion is looked at carefully, 
there will be found some buds that are plump and 
others that are sharp-pointed and narrow. The 
plump ones are fruit buds, and the others branch or 
wood buds. Where there are two at the axil of one 
leaf there is sure to be one of each. Where there are 
three the center one is a branch bud, and the other 
two fruit buds. These are safe to set, and I like them 
very well. Where there is but one bud there is need 
of great care in deciding whether to set it or not. 
Towards the upper end of peach and other scions 
there will be found, on close inspection, that at the 
bases of some of the leaves there are no buds what¬ 
ever. These are blanks, and no growth will result 
if they are set and given every opportunity to grow. 
I have tried them on purpose to see what they would 
do. The same is true of single fruit buds. With the 
apple and pear, which always have terminal fruit buds, 
there is no such danger. ii. e. van deman. 
"MISDIRECTED EFFORTS;” OATS AND PEAS. 
Having lived on a farm and in the midst of farm 
interests all my life, I can but acknowledge the just¬ 
ness of the criticism on farmers’ ways, in the Horse 
Shoe Farm Notes, on page 415, under the heading 
“Misdirected efforts to make a living.” Too often we 
farmers work hard to make the pennies and let the 
dollars out through the same holes by which Mr. 
Chapman’s turkeys escaped. By the way, did his wife 
say “I told you so,” and was it not too much like a 
novel story ending that he should find them all? As 
to the man who sowed oats instead of raising sugar 
beets, is it quite fair to estimate the cost of raising 
both crops as the same, and can he count on 18 tons 
of beets to the acre? The oats only require the cul¬ 
tivation of an ordinary field crop, but the beets? Mr. 
Chapman says, “In their section they are beginning 
the raising of sugar beets,” so we know that by the 
ume they are harvested he will know better what it 
costs to raise an acre of them. Two years ago, we 
raised beets for the Rome sugar beet factory. On 1V 2 
acre we paid $36 for work, besides the farmer’s own 
work and team work done, and oh, the weary, back- 
aching days of weeding, pulling and topping! To help 
establish an industry that might benefit farmers, con¬ 
tracts were made to take the remainder of pay in 
stock in the factory—a thing I have come to believe 
the farmer should never do. Let business enterprises 
furnish their own capital. This year the Rome Beet 
Sugar Company has gone into the hands of a re¬ 
ceiver, and the stock is worth, what it always was, 
nothing. Sugar beet raising was the hole where the 
turkey got out that time. Better have raised oats. 
But had the beets been paid for in cash, or the stock 
been good, it is not fair to put the cost of raising oats 
or beets as equal. e. c. g. 
Canastota, N. Y. 
