Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1904 — FARM FIELD AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM FIELD AND GARDEN

THE ART OF BUDDING, Thr Season, Necessary Materials and Details of the Operation. 'xue cut quite plaftily represents the details of the operation of budding. The points may be given in brief as follows: Budding Is performed in tlije north from the beginning of July to the middle of September, beginning earlier In the southern states. Stocks should be at least three-eiglitlis of an inch in diameter. Leaves should be rubbed off from the base of the stock just before budding. On young stock buds are Inserted as low down to the ground as the budder can work. On trees of considerable size the new growtli of high branches is selected. The north side of the tree is generally considered best, as it is shielded from the sun. The scions from which the buds are to be taken are cut from shoots of the season’s growth, usually on the outside of the tree where they have been exposed to sunshine, as they must be strong and well hardened. The growing end of the shoot is cut off. The leaves are removed, but a part of the stalk of each leaf is left. Thus the “stick of buds” is formed. In preparing the stock two cuts are made, one vertical, about nn inch and a half long, and one horizontal, across the top of the vertical. At the same time the bark, if it is in the right condition and the operator is expert, is

fFig. 1. a stick of buds; Fig. 2, budding knife; Fig. 3, stock cut for budding; Fig. 4, a bud; Fig. 5, the bud inserted; Fig. 6, the bud tied ] lifted by a peculiar turn of the knife. When the bark does not slip freely, it is raised by a sort of lifting and pushing motion with the thin bone scalpel at the end of the budding knife.- Many budders use the rounding point of the blade. The bud is cut about an inch long and taken away at the deepest point, about one-fourth of the diameter of the twig. Some growers strongly recommend removing from the bud the little bit of hard wood that is thus cut out witli it from the stick. The bud is inserted at the upper end of the long incision on the stock and pushed gently down to place. If the upper end of the bud extends above the transverse incision, it is cut off to fit. The bud is tied immediately, beginning at the lower end, winding upward. covering the incisions securely, but taking care to leave out the foot stalk and the bud. A string for budding is cut about a foot long. The lower end is secured by wrapping over It tbe second time round, and the upper, end is finished with a knot. Woolen yarn, candle* wick, narrow strips of muslin, basswood bark or the imported raffia may any of them be used for tying. When the bud has successfully united with the stock, the tie is taken off, in about three weeks.

Forests and Stream Flow. In considering the relation of forests to stream flow James W. Tourney expresses the opinion that, although the forest may have, on the whole, but little appreciable effect in increasing the rainfall and the annual run-off, its economic Importance in regulating the flow of streams is beyond computation. fThe great indirect value of the forest is the effect which it has In preventing wind and water erosion, thus allowing the soil on hills and mountains to remain where it is formed and in other ways providing an adequate absorbing medium at the sources of the water courses of the country. It is the amount of water that passes into the Boil, not the amount of rainfall, that makes a region garden or desert. Manuring Grass Lands. An English authority says; “It is better to lay up the same land for hay each year, grazing the aftermath only, and in the same way always to graze other land rather than graze and hay in alternate years. In this way we obtain the fullest development of those grasses and clovers which are suited to baying and grazing respectively. For tbe same reason the system of manuring once adopted should be varied as little as possible, for even manures «■ similar as nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia encourage different kinds of grass.*

EVOLUTION OF THE BUD.