THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
2S5 
August 8.] 
Now the tannin, gum, albumen, and volatile oil, on 
which last the flavour of the tea depends, are all capable 
of uniting with the salts causing the hardness of water, 
j and forming with them either insoluble or peculiar 
j flavoured compounds. In either case they diminish the 
colour and taste of the infusion, and delay the process 
of tea-making. 
To remove the hardness of the water so as to render 
it most suitable for the tea-urn, there is no addition so 
desirable as Oxalate of Ammonia. The oxalic acid of 
this salt unites with the lime, whatever may be its com¬ 
bination in the water, and forming an insoluble salt 
(oxalate of lime) falls to the bottom, while the am¬ 
monia of the oxalate of ammonia is driven off by the 
heat of the water. We recommend as much of this salt, 
powdered, as will lie on a sixpence to he put into the 
tea-urn or kettle rather than a proportionately smaller 
quantity into the tea-pot. Even if the powdered sub¬ 
carbonate of soda is used for the same purpose it should 
be added to the water before this reaches the tea-pot, 
and in much smaller quantity. If used only in a pro- 
I portion hut little more than necessary to decompose the 
calcareous salts in the water, it helps to extract a dark 
colour from the tea, hut destroys its flavour, and makes 
it taste vapid, or “ flat.” 
THE ERUIT-GARDEN. 
Budding. —As the seasons revolve, each brings its 
duties, and amongst the rest our present subject holds 
an important position. As to the budding of exotic 
plants, roses, &c., our clever fellow labourers in the 
pages of The Cottage Gardener will, doubtless, give 
them due attention; and although the principles are 
identical, bo it ours to assist our amateur friends in 
budding their fruit-trees, and for this proceeding the 
present period is, of all others, the most eligible. 
One remark may here be permitted as worthy of spe¬ 
cial notice, and that is the character and condition of 
the stock, on which so much depends. If the bark does 
not “ rise ” well (that is, does not part freely from the 
wood), say our old blue aprons, the buds will not suc¬ 
ceed, and the blue aprons are perfectly correct. 
Before offering advice on budding, it will be well to 
give the rationale of the practice; and for this purpose 
we may be allowed to quote from “ The Theory of Hor¬ 
ticulture ” this accurate and brief explanation: “Bud¬ 
ding and grafting consists in causing an qye, or a cut¬ 
ting, of one plant to grow upon some other plant, so 
that the two, by forming an organic union, become a 
new and compound individual. The eye in these cases 
takes the name of bud, the cutting is called scion, and 
the plant upon which they are made to grow is named 
the stock.” 
And now as to the effects sought to be produced; we 
again quote, for we cannot possibly make a better case 
of it. “ By these means we gain the important end of 
bringing in close contact a considerable surface of young 
organising matter. The organisation of wood takes 
place on its exterior, and that of bark on its interior 
surface ; and these are the parts which are applied to 
each other in the operation of budding; in addition to 
which the stranger bud finds itself in its new position 
as freely in communication with alimentary matter, or 
more so, than on its parent branch. A union takes place 
of the cellular faces or horizontal system of the stock 
and bark of the bud, while the latter, as soon as it 
begins to grow, sends down the woody matter or vertical 
system through the cellular substance. In consequence 
of the horizontal incision, the returning sap of the scion 
is arrested in its course, and accumulates a little just 
above the new bud, to which it is gradually supplied as it 
is required. Sometimes the whole of the wood below 
the bark is allowed to remain; and in that case contact 
between the organising surfaces of the stock and scion 
does not take place; and the union of the two is much 
less certain; as it is, however, usually practised with 
tender shoots before the wood is consolidated, the contact 
spoken of is of less moment.” 
In order to save repetition, we have placed those 
parts in italics which ought to form the peculiar study 
and receive the utmost attention from the inexperienced 
in budding affairs. 
Many fanciful modes of budding are, and have been, 
practised, but we have not space to describe them; and 
then - utility, moreover, to the readers of The Cottage' 
Gardener is very questionable. 'What is termed 
shield budding is in universal practice and repute in 
Britain; and what our nurserymen, who are an intelli¬ 
gent class of the community, practice in propagation 
matters our readers may safely follow, until their inven¬ 
tive faculties can produce some other worthy to super¬ 
sede it. 
Once more, then, we may venture to give a detail of 
the proceeding, which our more experienced readers 
must excuse, for the sake of those who have yet much to 
learn that appears so familiar to some minds. 
A good budding knife is the first thing to be provided ; 
any respectable nurseryman will furnish this.* Next, 
some really good matting; we prefer the new Cuba bast, 
but the finest of the ordinary Russian mats will answer 
equally well, perhaps better, provided the material is 
very fine and very tough. In selecting a mat for this 
purpose, it is better for those who do not require a great 
amount to give an extra price for the pick of a good 
one. Such may be distinguished by two or three 
critera, which stand as follows :—First, whatever colour 
the bast be, it must feel silky and somewhat oily to 
the touch; such is generally a good character of bast. 
A full reliance must not be placed on this alone, 
however, but the strength should bo tested^ This is 
readily done by cutting off a fine-looking s'tmid, and 
stripping off a narrow piece as fine as twine. This, 
if good, should withstand a considerable amount of 
tension; it is well, however, to try a second piece. 
As to colour, such is generally a pale straw. So much 
for the character of bast, for be it understood it is 
extremely inconvenient to have the bast frequently 
breaking in the hand, to say nothing of the prejudice of 
the bud. The bast must be cut into lengths and 
adapted to the size of the stocks—be they what they 
may. A mere novice may soon determine the length 
necessary, by twisting a piece round any twig of similar 
size, as in the act of budding. 
Before describing the process itself,, it will be well to 
speak of the condition of the stocks or subjects to be 
operated on. Budding, as before observed, is performed 
at various seasons; and in very early budding, as pre¬ 
viously shewn, it is considered in the majority of cases 
prudential, if not absolutely necessary, to insert the 
whole of the shield or bud with its own system of wood 
attached. When the summer is far advanced, however, 
and the buds are become individually perfect, or nearly 
so, in their organization, the case alters, and the less of 
intervening matter there exists between the bud with its 
immediate appurtenances of petiole, the barks, &c., the 
better. 
* The best budding; instrument we have ever seen is made by Mr. 
Turner, Nccpsend, Sheffield. It has a budding knife at one end 
and a grooved hook at the other end. This hook being inserted in the 
T cut made with the knife keeps it open, and allows the bud to be slipt 
easily down the groove into its place. It really supplies the budder with 
a third hand.—E d. C. G. 
