HOUSE AND GARDEN 
September, ign 
growth. If we have them in quantities we are ready to go into 
the culture of fruit extensively. Usually, however, the amateur 
fruit grower will only have a few trees to practice upon, and will 
use for his parent stock the seedlings that have come up along 
the road or garden edge. While budding may be practiced at any 
time that the bark peels readily, it is commonly done in August for 
most fruits and September for peaches. The latter may be budded 
on seedling stock that has been grown from a pit the same year. 
A few days before budding it is customary to remove the leaves 
from the stock to a height of several inches from the ground. 
This will have a tendency to make the bark more firm when it is 
ready to receive the bud. “Bud sticks” are secured from the ends 
of bearing branches on desirable trees of known varieties. The 
bud itself is found at the base of the leaf petiole. In most kinds 
of fruit it is a tiny thing not much larger than the head of a match. 
The buds must be well developed. Those near the ends of the 
shoots are the least desirable. The bud is removed from the 
stem by cutting ofif an oval shaped piece of bark. Use a sharp 
knife. The stem of the leaf may be used as a handle for the bud. 
It is better not to leave any wood attached to it. If cut carefully 
only the inner and outer bark will remain. 
To bud a tree we first make a “T” shaped cut in the bark of the 
stock to be budded. This cut should go through the bark into the 
wood. Then peel the edges of the bark back and roll them slight¬ 
ly. The bud is inserted into this cut and firmly pressed against 
the peeled wood. After which it is securely bound in place with 
soft twine, strips of cloth or raffia. The latter is the best. 
The bud will not make any growth of consequence the same 
year it is inserted, but if it does not shrivel, but remains green, 
It is often advisable to cut back a tree 
make terminal grafts 
and 
Though twine and cloth may be 
used, raffia is best for tying in 
buds and grafts 
The union of stock and scion is 
made complete by covering over 
with clay 
after a few weeks 
we may be reason¬ 
ably sure that it is 
alive and will suc¬ 
ceed. The next 
year when all the 
buds spring into 
growth, all the 
other leaves from 
the parent stock 
should be rubbed 
ofif and everything 
done to stimulate 
its growth. 
In view of the 
fact that budding 
is such a simple 
process and one 
without any mys¬ 
tery or hocus pocus 
it is surprising how 
few gardeners un¬ 
derstand it. There 
is no plant wiz¬ 
ardry about it. 
Anyone of average 
intelligence should learn how to bud in a few minutes. The whole 
secret is to secure a point of contact between the green or cam¬ 
bium layers of scion and stock, to use healthy, vigorous buds, and 
do the work neatly. 
. , Although graft¬ 
ing proper is done 
in the spring, this 
season is the time 
to prepare for it. 
The principle of 
the operation is 
just the same as 
that of budding, 
but twigs are used 
instead of buds. 
These twigs, how¬ 
ever, are selected 
for the vigor of 
the buds and usu¬ 
ally are three buds 
in length. Ordi¬ 
narily only the pre¬ 
vious year's growth 
is use d. These 
scions must be kept 
dormant, and to ef¬ 
fect this may be 
stored in sand, moss 
or sawdust in a cool 
cellar. Where they 
are to be used for 
top grafting—that 
is where the tree 
is cut back and a 
new head growth 
planned—the scions 
may be stuck in the 
ground beside the 
tree. In the spring 
they are used in 
cleft grafting. 
Sometimes cleft grafting with two 
scions is made; only one is 
allowed to mature, however 
