696 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 1, 1899. 
Hints for ||mateurs. 
Budding.—This method of propagation or of im¬ 
proving varieties of hardy fruit trees, Roses and 
other things, is largely practised by those whose 
interest it is to secure or improve quantities of the 
plants just named. It may in some cases take the 
place of grafting. Instead of having a shoot with 
two or three buds for uniting with another shoot or 
stem, called a stock, we, when budding, have only 
a single bud. For Peach, Apricot and Nectarine 
trees, and also Roses, budding is the propagating 
method very often practised, because in grafting, 
these trees " bleed " somewhat freely, and it may 
lead to the after cause of gumming. Budding also 
gives cultivation a double opportunity in one year, 
of trying to establish a variety of a fruit tree on to a 
stock; for if a graft has failed in the spring time— 
at which season grafting is accomplished—a bud 
may be tried when midsummer arrives. 
Time to Bud.—Thus it is seen that from now till 
the middle or end of August, a period of eight weeks 
at most, the art of cutting out a bud from one shoot 
to place beneath the bark of a shoot on the same or 
another tree, and called " budding," is the proper 
season. But why now rather than in Spring ? 
Because that the bark must be in such mechanical 
condition that it may be easily and clearly separated 
from the woody part of the stem. By cutting and 
examining a branch of some years’ growth, it will be 
seen that in an exogenous stem there are roughly 
speaking, four, more or less distinct parts—the 
central and largest portion called the duramen or 
heart-wood having a number of distinct concentric 
rings by which the age of the tree, or the part of it 
represented, may fairly accurately be reckoned. 
These rings are the annual growths which, from 
constant adding or depositing of matter, become hard 
and dry, ultimately becoming of no value for con¬ 
ducting the sap up or down. It is only the younger 
portion of the wood that takes part in the transit of 
fluids. To the outside of the young wood, a layer is 
formed of young cells, which divide and re-divide, 
always propagating towards the bark and becoming 
thickened and firm to form hard wood on the inside. 
This layer of growing cells is termed cambium, but 
is thin and scarcely discernible by the naked eye. 
Outside the cambium layer we find the liber or inner 
bark, and then the bark itself. 
Now all this is pointed out simply to give a clearer 
understanding of the operation under discussion. 
When we take out a bud from a shoot (which should 
be of the current year's growth) we gently pull out 
the woody chip which is cut along with the bud and 
the bark. Do this gently, not to disturb the bud 
from its bed in the bark. Having done the work so 
far, what have we now ? A small shield-like piece of 
tender bark, a bud, and a leaf from whose axil the 
bud is growing. The inner bark and, perhaps, a 
thin sheet of cambium we find to be on the under 
side. With all dispatch hasten to get this bud fixed 
fittingly into the T-shaped cut, made previously in 
the shoot of the stock in which the bud is to be 
placed. The cuts are made only bark-deep, cross- 
ways, and then length-ways, the latter about i in. 
Raise the bark on one side by using the wedge- 
shaped end of a budding knife, such as is shown in 
miniature in the accompanying figure. Put in one 
side of your shield and then get the other side fixed. 
Bind the stem above and below the insertion, shad¬ 
ing the bud, if need be, with an evergreen leaf. 
When the bud shows signs of starting, say, in about 
three weeks, loosen the binding and re-tie. It will 
thus be seen that in fixing the bud we are uniting 
the two cambium layers, whose cells soon multiply 
and interweave themselves. 
Care must be exercised so that no bloom buds are 
taken instead of foliage buds. Buds take well on 
wood of two or three years' old, but not on old wood. 
It is necessary that the stock should be in a thriving 
state. If the case requires it, a watering should be 
given to both the stock and the tree from which the 
buds are to be taken the evening before the buds are 
cut out. Dexterity and quickness are absolutely 
necessary in the operation if good results are looked 
for. 
What to Bud.—Roses may either be budded on 
to other Roses, or, as is generally the case, on to 
Briers. The Briers impart vigour to the growth of 
the Rose shoot; far more so than their own roots 
could do. Many Roses would be worthless unless 
they were " worked.” 
With fruit trees we bud or graft to secure some 
physiological advantage. Apricots are budded on 
several varieties of Plum stocks, because on their 
own roots they have no vigour or, at least, are of 
small value. Plums are budded or grafted on a 
variety called the Mussel Plum. Pears, if wanted 
Rose Budding. 
i, shows the T-shaped cut for the bud; 2, the 
budding knife; 3, the bud; 4, the bud inserted in 
the cut after removal of the blade, or leaflets. 
for dwarf growth,are budded on the Quince; Apples 
on the Crab for vigorous growth, or on the Paradise 
for dwarfness, compactness, and early fertility. 
The former Stock is the best to use for stan¬ 
dard orchard trees. Stocks are generally grown 
specially for grafting or budding, and operated 
on at heights of from 18 in. to 4 ft. 
The practice of budding may be carried out 
with grafted trees which are vigorous, but whose 
fruits are not worth much, by taking buds from a 
high-class variety and inserting them in the young 
shoots of the vigorous grower. 
When the bud has started into growth the 
stock should be shortened back to within a foot or 
little more, and the bud-shoot itself must be pinched 
early enough to allow time for its thickening and 
ripening. Some budders like to leave the operation 
as late as it is safe to do so, because by such delay 
the bud does not start at all the same season, but is 
stronger for starting the next spring. I prefer this 
myself, but with amateur operators the conditions 
for a successful trial would be more risky. If late 
budding is done, then no shortening of the stocks 
should take place till after the leaves fall, and then 
just before growth starts in the springtime cut back 
all the stock or shoot which was budded, close to, 
but above the bud. 
General Work. —It will soon be time to think of 
layering Strawberries, and those who may wish to 
try some for forcing next year would do well to 
search out 5 in. or 6 in. pots, and also to prepare a 
rich compost for filling the same, but fuller notes 
will appear later. Gutters should be looked to, both 
on the sides of walks and those around the eaves of 
roofs, for they soon become clogged-up and much in¬ 
convenience or distress caused when sudden falls of 
rain come upon us. Thinning, regulating, tying-in 
Cherry, Plum, and Peach shoots, &c, watering, 
weeding, hoeing, syringing, and shading are items of 
work to think about.— Beacon. 
-- g — 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
“Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Shrubs for a front garden.— Wm. Taff\ For your 
front garden the following will not be too tall or in¬ 
congruous :—Standard Laburnums, Thorns or May 
blossom trees, Weigelas or more correctly Diervillasj 
such as D. rosea, D. amabilis, &c.; Daphne Mezer- 
eum, Cytisus albus, C. scoparius, C. s. andreanus, 
Cornus mas variegata, Choisya ternata; Cistus of 
sorts, Berberis in variety, Roses and Briers, Robinia 
hispida, Prunus Avium fl. pi., Kerria japonica, 
Kalmia latifolia, Prunus Pissardi, golden Privet, and 
quite a selection of bright Conifers of all shapes and 
sizes. These may all be planted in October or from 
then till about April, but it should be done early 
rather than late. 
Plants for rough grass.— 7 - T. Stow, N.B.: 
From your rather exposed situation only the hardiest 
plants are fit to plant. Such will be found in the 
Pampas Grass (Gynerium argenteum), whose foliage 
protects it and even if it does need a mat during 
hard winters, such an article is easily wrapt around 
it. The Lady’s or Gardeners’ garter (Phalaris 
arundinacea variegata) is another grass plant well 
known. You might also try Aster alpinus, A. 
Amellus, many of the Bellflowers or Campanulas, 
Bergamot (Monarda didyma), Cornflowers, Daffodils 
and many other bulbs, Lenten and Christmas Roses 
(Helleborus), some of the shrubby Veronicas, Yupca 
gloriosa or Adam’s Needle, the white Rocket 
(Hesperis matronalis), and Everlasiing Peas,to which 
a support will be needed. 
Ladies and gardening.— Violet Hay, Deal : I quite 
agree with you that ladies glean much enjoyment 
from their gardens and^like to work in them and all 
that, but upon your suggestion that the Editor 
might devote a column occasionally, entirely to the 
interests of ladies' gardening, I cannot say that the 
lady readers are not fairly well seen to. The Hints 
for Amateurs should be guidance of which much is 
as applicable to lady amateur gardeners as to 
gentlemen readers. Most of the queries received 
are from the sterner sex, and naturally enough the 
hints are chosen to suit the desires of the majority. 
The Editor may possibly extend the amateur’s page 
at times for a chatty letter written specially to lady 
readers but this will all depend upon the further desires 
or petitions from this section of subscribers.— B. 
Linaria Cymbalaria.— T. Enoch, Bute : The Ivy¬ 
leaved little Toad-flax will grow on the very driest 
wall and in such position you may rely on its doing 
well, and of soon forming a pretty bank or ridge of 
light violet-blue. It is a native plant, easily in¬ 
creased by division or cuttings, or probably best 
from seeds. The plants may be raised on light 
ground and then carefully established between the 
chinks of the coping stones and also on the face of 
the wall, if a slight root-hold can at all be made. It 
would be easier, perhaps, to establish the plants 
by sowing seeds in the chinks in September. Syringe 
the plants lightly but thoroughly in the evenings, 
if you choose to insert plants, and soon you will fittd 
that the long hanging brown shoots and Ivy-like 
little green leaves with the auxiliary blue flowers are 
quite the best ornament you could have adopted. 
Shirley Poppies.— F. Salmon, Tadcaster : Origina¬ 
ting from the common scarlet field Poppy (Papaver 
Rhoeas),from careful selection by the Rev. W. Wilks, 
secretary to the R.H.S., they have come to be 
much sought after and greatly grown. A friend of 
ours paid 2d. for a bunch of twelve blooms, so that 
at such prices many cultivators will be reaping a big 
return. They require next to no cultivation, merely 
sowing the seed with thinning and watering when 
they grow up, being all that they generally get. For 
decorations nothing is simpler or more pleasing. Sow 
some sow in your front garden, the place is all 
right. 
Yitis or Ampelopsis.— E. C. M. : For general or 
garden purposes we may use the name best known— 
Ampelopsis—although the leading botanists include 
the latter, and also the genus Cissus, under Vitis, 
the Vine tribe. For wall covering the close, neat, 
and nicely lobed foliage makes them generally 
sought after. We have seen them used in window 
boxes high up on the sills of tall buildings. When 
so planted they are taken straight up for a foot and a 
half by a wire-netting support, and then along to the 
side walls of the window, then upwards and arched 
