108 
SOME HINTS ON BUDDING BOSES. 
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our comparatively cool moist climate it answers better. In all cases where they have been tried, the 
failures have been much more considerable under the American system than under the old, the circum¬ 
stances being equal. Sometimes there may be an advantage in putting in the wood—namely, where the 
shoot is become firm, and the wood and bark will not freely separate; then, if inserted in a free-growing 
stock, it will in all probability take. 
In budding, the top bud on the shoot should be commenced with, cutting from about an eighth of 
an inch below the bud or eye to from half an inch to an inch above it, in order that there may be a 
sufficiency of bark to hold with the fingers without rubbing the portion which is to be inserted, (shown 
in Fig. 2); take out the wood as already recommended; next make an incision in the shoot of the 
stock close into the main stem, and about half an inch long—this is long enough; cut across at top, 
raise the bark with the end of the budding knife without bruising it, and insert the bud, which will 
then have the appearance of Fig. 4. It is now to be tied with a little worsted or cotton, as shown in 
Fig. 6 ; one tie below the eye and two above will be ample, as its entire length will not be more than 
half an inch, and a quarter of that below the eye. The most inexperienced amateur need not give 
more than two rounds below the eye and three above, but the practical workman will find the number 
I have mentioned sufficient. 
The superiority of this system of budding over the old must be apparent. Fig. 1 shows a bud 
extracted on the old method, the whole more than an inch in length. Fig. 3 shows the same inserted, 
and Fig. 5 the 
same tied in 
with innumer¬ 
able rounds of 
matting. 
Fig. 
7 shows it the 
following 
sea- 
buds 
BUDDING : OLD PLAN, FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 7 ; NE“W PLAN, FIGS. 2, 4, 6, 8. 
son, the 
having grown. 
Fig. 8 repre¬ 
sents the growth 
which the buds 
take on the new 
system; they 
grow out nearly 
from the axil 
of the branch, 
and look neat 
and workman¬ 
like ; and after a 
season or two, when the shoots are headed back and healed over, which they freely do, they have the 
appearance of growing out of the main stem, forming neat heads without scars, wounds, or knots, very 
different to the appearance of those worked like Fig. 7, which have an unsightly and unworkmanlike 
appearance, and liable to be blown out by the wind, having scars and dead snags in abundance, and 
never forming such neat, compact, and clean, healthy heads. Those who are acquainted with budding 
will easily understand this from the figures. I have purposely shown the one year shoots in Figs. 7 
and 8, as if they had not been stopped the first season, to explain the system. When strong, however, 
they had always better be stopped the first season when they attain from one inch and a-half to two 
inches in length, repeating it as the growth proceeds. In this way, by the end of the first season 
from the bud the heads will be fine and bushy; which will not be the case if they are allowed to run 
up with single shoots. 
I should have said that the shoots selected for budding must be pretty firm—young watery shoots 
and buds are useless; from the former the buds always take more freely provided they only separate 
readily from the wood. For tying, worsted or cotton is in every way incomparably better than matting. 
Cotton I consider best of all; it is much cheaper, more expeditious in use, does not cut the bark as 
much as matting, and requires nothing more than cutting into lengths of from four to six inches to 
be ready for use ; the former length will be sufficient for the experienced; whilst the tyro may require 
it of the latter length. Lamp-wick answers for this purpose, but it requires splitting as it is generally 
too thick; about the substance of strong yarn is sufficient. Suitable yarn may be obtained of any 
dealer in cotton, or at a very cheap rate from any cotton manufactory where they sell retail. All 
