The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1883-02-28
Budding.
rs Oranqe CuLlare.

= Where it is the purpose of the or
ange>grower to bud his trees it is
better that the budding should be
done before the trees are taken from
the nursery. The reasons are-1st,
the sooner in the life of the tree the
budding is done the earlier and more
thorough the healing of the wounds;
I'd, the budding is done with greater
ease and rapidity in the nursery than
in the grove; Sd, in transplanting
trees of considerable size it is impos-
sible to take up all the roots. and as
it is necessary that the top should
not exceed In proportion the roots in
transplanting trees, it Is beneficial to
cut back the top considerably. If the
budding has been done but few
months before transplantiDg, the
wounds will have healed and the pros
portion between the roots and top
will have become about right for
transplanting without the necessity
of inficting new wounds upon the
branches at time when the tree is
in its most tender condition.
A good time to begin 10 bud is
when the trees in the nursery are
one year old. By budding every al
ternate tree the budded trees can be
set the following season, leaving
greater space for larger growth of
the trees LETT in the nursery. Those
remaining can be budded when two
years old and set the season follow
ing. Where trees are to be bought
from the nurseryman it is preferable
to plant trees older than one or two
years, as older trees come into bear.
ing sooner. But where persons are
growing their own stock. the sooner
they are set, after the first year, il
position, the more rapidly they will
grow, it the trees are properly culti-
waited.
In budding nursery stock, but one
plan, that of inserting single bud,
is practlsed. The graft has not done
we'll. Grated trees will live, but
they do not grow so thrifty as the
ebudded tree. Grating is sometimes
resorted to when one wishes to pres
serve new variety, and he has obs
tanned cutting Of this new variety
in winter when the sap is not in con
dition for budding. Sprig budding
is not resorted to for nursery stock,
as the stem is usually too small TO
admit the sprig Do not attempt to
bud excent whaa the san Is AoMipa.
Ireely--so freely that the bud win
readily lift the bark as you push it
downward into it's position. The
stock to be budded should be tTlm-
med so as to have as few as possible |
of branches or leaves in the way OF
the operator The trimming should
be done several days beforehand, so
that the wounds may be in healing
condition and the flow of sap not
checked by too much cutting at the
time of budding. The budding
knife should be sharp, that 1t may
cat through the hard wood OF the
bud without splitting the fibre OF the
wood or bark.
Select buds from healthy and vig-
orous trees OF the variety to be prop
agated. They should not be too old
or they will be slow in starting, nor
too yourg lest they perish. The
wood from which they are taken
should be nearly matore, between the
angular and the round. Select buds
with well developed eyes. 1t is
sometimes the case that insects have
eaten out the eyes. 1t is useless to
put in such buds. In cutting the
bud from the branch, do not hold the
blade OF the knife at right angles
with the branch, as in such posi-
tion it is likely to slip i'll and out,
following the grain OF the wood, and
so give an uneven surface to the face
of the bud. The face of the bud
should be so level and straight that
when it is pushed into its position
the cut surface will at all points touch
the wood of the stock and so exclude
the air. To prevent this irrtgularity
OF surface, hold the blade OF the
knife firmly in the hand and almost
parallel with the branch from which
the bud is being cut. In cutting,
draw the knife to you, as the cut will
be smoother by this method than if
the bud were severed from the
branch by simply pressing the blade
through the wood. The knife should
be inserted half an inch above the
bud and come out a halt or three
quarters OF an inch below. it is bet
Ter 10 insert the bud on the north
side OF the stock. The iucision In
lie stock should be made with