i Marz., 1898. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 189 
‘should be kept very keen, and the cut should be a clean drawing one. The bud. 
should be cut as fine as possible, and if this is done there is no need to remove 
any wood from the bud, but the bud should be inserted as cut. 
Fig. 3 (Plate III.) shows a well-developed single bud as cut and ready for 
insertion; and if carefully examined it will be noted that the base or lower end 
of the bud is cut with a slight bevel, as cutting the bud in this manner is found. 
+o make it draw better when inserted into the stock than if cut without it. 
Fig. 4 (Plate III.) shows the method of making the T-shaped insertion in the 
stock. The vertical cut is made first, the cut being clean through the bark, but 
not deep enough to injure the wood. The cross cut is made from left to right, 
the operator holding the knife at an angle to the stock and making the cut 
with a twist, which will open the bark sufficiently to admit of the insertion of 
the bud without quilling—a very important consideration, as the less the stock is 
injured, the less air there is between the stock and the bud; and the firmer the 
bud fits, the better the take. Never attempt to bud unless the bark runs 
freely, as if the bark requires quilling or forcing the take is always more or 
less uncertain. The quicker the work is done the better, as the union is more 
perfect and the bud is less likely to dry out. 
Fig. 5 (Plate III.) shows the budin position. The bud as cut (see Fig. 3) is 
held firmly between the thumb and first finger of the operator, and is inserted 
into the T cut and pushed down into position. If the stock is in good working 
order, the bud itself when inserted and pushed down will open its own way 
without the sides of the cut being opened by the budding-knife or quilled, and. 
when this takes place the union is practically certain, provided that the bud is 
properly tied. 
Fig. 6 (Plate III.) shows one method of tying the bud, in which the tie is com- 
menced at the base of the bud and completed at the top, but the tie can be made 
equally as well if commenced at the top and finished at the bottom In fact, f 
prefer the latter method when the stocks are working very freely as it prevents 
the bud from slipping or squeezing upwards, which sometimes takes place when 
the tie is commenced from the bottom. ‘Tying should always be carefuily done ; 
the base of the bud especially being tied firmly. Various materials can be used 
for tying, of which narrow strips of thin calico, cotton-wick, and raffia are about 
the best. In the illustration soft string has been used, so as to show the 
method of tying as clearly as possible, but in actual practice the tie should 
be rather more compact, so as to cover the wound more completely. In from 
two to three weeks after the buds have been inserted they should be examined; . 
and if they have taken, then the ties should be cut, but not removed, as if they 
are not cut they will contract and injure the growth of the stock. When the 
- buds have missed, the stocks should be reworked; but when they have taken 
they should be allowed to remain as they are tillthe following spring, unless it 
is desirable to start them at once. A simple way to see whether the buds have 
taken or not, is to to touch the leaf-stalk attached to the bud; if this falls off 
easily the bud has taken, but if it has become hard and dry and is firmly 
attached to the bid then the bud is dead. 
The bud having made a complete union with the stock, the next thing is 
to start it. As just stated, the bud can either be started. as soon as it has ~ 
made a complete union or it can be allowed to remain dormant till the 
following spring. In the first case, the top of the stock should be reduced. 
sufficiently to cause the bud to start ; and when the bud has made sufficient 
growth to support the roots, then the rest of the stock, other than that required 
to train the bud to, should be removed. In the case of the dormant bud, early 
in spring the whole of the stock should be cut away a few inches above 
the bud, which will then start, and can be trained to grow upright by tying 
it to the portion of stock that is left for this purpose. This is best shown 
by referring to Fig. 8. When the bud is strong enough to support itself, the 
stock is cut clean away with a sloping cut just above the bud, as shown by 
