Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-09-03
AGRICULTURAL SCIENTIFIC.
nrDntsa FRUIT TREES.

As The season is at hand when budding
is to be done, if done at all, We call the al
tsntion of Our readers to the subject,
As a general rule, all kinds of fruit can
be propagated BY the bud, great care being
taken thai the bad be put into tree of sim
liar kind. In many instances, good union
will be obtained between bud and 4 stock
of very different kind, as the apple buddcd
upon the paradise stock,-the pear upon
the ounce and thorn. All kinds of cherry,
we believe work we'll on the small wild red
variety Germanicwn Telegraph
The advantages Of budding over grating,
in fruit trees, arc thus stated by Downing
in his Fruit and Fruit Trees -
"The advantage in budding fruit trees
compared with grating, are 1st, the great
rapidly with which it is done, skillGul
builder, with a clever boy following him to
tie the buds, being able to work from q
thousand to twelve hundred young nursery
stocks-2d the convenient season at which
it is performed, in all countries when a
short spring crowds garden labors into
short space; 81, being able to perform the
operation without injuring the stock, in
case of failure, which is always more or
less the care in stocks headed down for
grating; 4th, the opportunity it affords,
when performed in season, of repeating the
trial on the same stock; to these it may be
added that budding is universally perform
cd here for all stone fruits, such as peaches,
apricots, Sc, which require extra care in
grating but are budded with great ease"
This process he goes on to describe as
follows 1.-The proper season for budding
fruit trees. in this country, is from the first
of July to the first of September; the diff
fcrent trees coming into season as follows:
PIums, cherries, apricots, on plums, april
cots, pears, apples, ounces, nectarians, and
peaches. Trees Of considerable size will
requiring budding earlier than young seed
linz stocks. But the operation is always,
and only, performed tchen the bark Of The
St0c& PcGlS or separates freely from HE
rood, when the buds of the current years
growth are somewhat plump, and the young
wood is grown firm. Young stocks in the
nursery, if thrifty, are usually planted out
in rows in the spring. and budded the same
summer or autumn.
Before commencing you should provide
yourself with budding knife about 4 J inch
es long, having at one end round blade,
and an ivory handle terminating in a thin
rounded edge called the haG at the other.
'In choosing your buds select thirty
shoots that have nearly done growing, aud
prepare what is called stick of buds, by
eutting of few Of the imperfect buds at
the lower, and such as may be vet too soft
at the upper ends, leaving only smooth,
well developed single buds double buds
being fruit buds. Cut Off the leaves allow
ing about half an inch of the foot-SiGlks to
remain for conveniently inserting the buds.
Some strands of fascinating about II or
IA inches long, previously soaked in water
TO render them soft and p'iable, Tor in the
absence Of these some soft wooden yarn
must also be at hand for tying the buds.
"Shield or t budding, is the most APP
proved mode in all countries. A new va
riety of this method now generally prac-
tised in this country, we shall describe first
as being the simplest and best mode for
fruit trees.
".Amsrican Shield Budding Having your
stick of buds ready, choose smooth portion
Of the stock. When the latter is equally
convenient, select also the north side of the
stock, as less exposed to the sun. Make an
upright incision in the bark from an inch to
an inch and a half long, and at the top Of
mis- make q cross cut, so that the whole
shall form I. From the stick of buds,
your knife being very sharp, cut a thin,
smooth slice of wood and bark containing
bud. With the ivory half of your budding
knife now raise the bark on each side of the
incision just wide enough to admit easily
the prepared bud. Taking hold of the foot
stock Of the leaf, insert the bud under the
bark, pushing it gently down to the bottom
OF the incision. If the upper portion of the
bud projects above the horizontal part of
the I, cut it smoothly of now, so that it
may completely fit. A baudage of soft mat
ting is now tied pretty firmly over the
whole would, commencing at the bottom,
and leaving the bud and foot-stalk of the
leaf only exposed to the light and all"
",4(ter Ireatmenf-In two weeks after
the operation you will be able to sec wheth-
or the bud has taken, by its plumpness and
freshness. If it>hs failed, you may if the
bark still parts readily, make another trial
a clever builder will not lose over six or
eight per cent. If it has succeeded, after
fortnight more has elapsed, the bandage must
be looseHed, or if the stalk has swelled
much, ii should be removed altogether
When budding has been performed very
htc,we have occasionally found 1t an advan-
tage to leave the bandagc on during the
winter"
BlRns,-The American Agriculturalist
gives the following anecdotes of the labors
of the birds: