The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-06-15

l | and then make per peHUlCulot Sill
, about an inch and half long, about
four to six inches above the ground
, then make another cut across at the
base'the two cuts presenting the ap'
pearance of the letter L reversed
thus L; the cross-cut is often made
at the top, but it is not the best way
Now pass the point of your knife. or
the fiat handles if it is regular bud
ding knife, carefully along the upright
cut, slightly raising the edges, giving
the knife certain little twist, easily
learned, at the base, so as to leave
the corners little turned back, like
the ''dog ears" of book. Now take
your knife, and carefully cat OFT a
bud from your "stick," take as little
OF the wood as possible, and let the
back extend about halt an inch be-
low and above the bud; now take
this little strip in your hand, and, with
the woody side upward, bend the
end slightly, till the thin layer OF
wood remaining, separates at the end
from the delicate bark, then thrust
your thumb nail between the stwo
and now, holding the bud upper
most so as to keep it straight and
unbroken, gently pass your nail
along bending the woody layer
downward until it is entirely de-
tached, leaving in your hand nice,
clean strip OF bark with the bud
intact; if, however. the wood has
not parted readily but has torn the
bud or left little hole in 1t, be
sure that 1t was not in fit con-
dition for budding, and throw it
away.
This may seem a difficult and del,
icate operation, at the first glance,
but difficult? no not after a little
practice; delicate ? yes; but one
cannot expect to treat tender bud
roughly and have it live. If you
prefer you can omit to remove the
woody layer, provided you cut it as
thin as possible, but it does not make
either so sure a junction or so slightly
in the years to come, for as the alour-
mum or wood will never unite with
the stock, neither be absorbed, there
will always be an ugly knot or
ridge marking the point of junction
between stock and scion, whereas
the strip of bark only, unites COM
pletely in every part, leaving in after
years smooth, straight trunk, with
N n nna,rhtlv vrOn1iuppon
And now you are ready to insert
the bud, which is 10 be done upside
down, for the same reason that you
made the cross cut at the base of the
perpendicular, instead of the top,
namely because in this position, as
| you will see, it sheds rain, and allows
no water to lodge and soak in be-
tween the bandage and the bud; 1t
is always better to leave the leaf
attached to the bud, as this avoids
leaving open any channel for air or
moisture to penetrate, and moreover,
the sap in the leaf nourishes the bud;
but with or without the leaves, insert
your bud upside down; pushit gently
up from below, till the upper end of
the cut is reached, be sure that the
bud bark lies smoothly and that the
lower end does not project below the
cross cut; this accomplished, start
the wrapping just above the upper
end of the cut, holding the END
firmly while you wrap, pulling
tightly the while.
| Some employ two wrappings, one
above and one below the bud, as it
| is all important to leave the bud
| itself-and only the bud-exposed
to light and air but skillful worker
| will use only one strip, giving a GER
tain downward slant to the last turn
above, that will carry it below the
bud in front and then continuing the
wrapping until the base Is well COW
ered tying the strips, as we have
said, is needless. In two weeks you
will know whether your work has
| been ''for better or for worse;" the
| former certainly, it all has been
done "decently and in order;;"the juno
ton always takes place at the top
| first, therefore, as the edges swell and
unite, the top wrapping should be first
loosened, say in ten days after the
sprout has started, and the lower
wraps week later; it is better to
loosen at first, than to remove en-
tirely, as the newly formed bark
needs some protection for month or
two.
OF grating proper, and propagat-
ing by slips and cuttings, much might
he said but we have already exceeded