The Knack of Budding and Grafting 
THE THEORY OF THE ART THAT CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY PRACTICED BY A BEGINNER 
—VARIOUS METHODS —THE BEST SEASONS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE WORK 
by S. Leonard Bastin 
Photographs by the Author and Chas. Jones 
T HERE is no question 
that some of the 
most important methods 
of garden propagation 
are those connected with 
the various processes of 
grafting and budding. 
Strangely enough, these 
schemes whereby desira¬ 
ble varieties of plants may 
be increased with rapid¬ 
ity have been much neg¬ 
lected by the amateur. 
There has been a tend¬ 
ency to regard the work 
as being fit only for the 
expert to carry out, but 
this is quite a mistaken 
For whip grafting scion and stock must 
be well fitted 
Scion and stock ready to be united in 
a cleft graft 
probably all plants which 
may be successfully graft¬ 
ed will be also amenable to 
the budding treatment and 
vice versa. As an in¬ 
stance of this, both roses 
and fruit trees have been 
successfully budded, but as 
a general rule the practice 
of grafting is followed in 
the case of fruit trees; that 
of budding in the case of 
roses. The reason for 
this is chiefly that the act 
of grafting involves the 
placing of several buds on 
the stock; that of budding 
the fixing of only one. 
A whip graft should be tied closely but 
not too tight 
idea, as any novice may 
soon prove if he care¬ 
fully follows any of the 
approved systems. I 
would earnestly rec¬ 
ommend grafting and 
budding not only as a 
useful mode of propa¬ 
gation but also as an 
exceedingly interesting 
practice which will add 
enormously to the pleas¬ 
ure of keeping a garden. 
An embarrass¬ 
ing question with which 
the beginner will often 
trouble the professional 
gardener is, “When 
shall I graft and when 
shall I bud?” It may 
be said at once that 
Now, roses grow more 
freely than fruit trees of 
most kinds and will make 
a luxuriant development 
from the single bud. The 
slower increase in the 
case of the fruit trees 
makes it desirable to start 
each stock with several 
buds at once. These re¬ 
marks must not be taken 
in an arbitrary sense, 
however, but for present 
purposes it is essential to 
narrow down the subject 
to some extent and give 
plain instructions con¬ 
cerning the grafting of 
fruit trees, a practical 
outline of the accredited 
method of budding roses, 
Applying the wax to prevent the graft 
from drying out 
When the grafts have been carefully made and tied they are ready to be The wax should be smeared on rather thickly so as to cover the graft 
covered with wax thoroughly at all points 
(28) 
