Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1877 — Budding Fruit-Trees. [ARTICLE]

Budding Fruit-Trees.

There are two well-established methods now in very general use among experts in fruit-culture, for changing or multiply* ing varieties of the same class on the same tree, and both of these are simple and inexpensive. The first of these is known as grafting , and is only practiced on larger trees, and always in the spring before the foliage is developed. The other method, which is much more rapid, and Suite as sure when properly done, is buding, and the time for doing thia extends from the middle of July until the first of September.. Whenever the bark separates easily from the wood, the buds may be set, with fair chaneca of success. The outfit for budding consists of some narrow strips of bass matting, such as comes on the inside of coflee-bags, and a pocketknife with a single blade, with a small piece of ivory fastened in the end of the handle. When the incision is made the ivory is used to raise the bark up on either side, so that the bud may be pressed into place. The buds to be inserted should be cut from young, healthy trees, and always of the present year’s' growth, those that arc moat matured being selected. The leaves may then be clipped off the branch of buds, leaving say half an inch of the leaf stalk attached to the bud. Them with a keen-edged knife cut off each bud separately horn a half to three-quar-ters of an inch in length, leaving a thin slice of wood back of the eye or bud. These should be kept moist and protected from the sun or air until set; exposure even for a short time may prove fatal. When the whole top or any part of it is to be budded over, select the spot for each bud in a smooth part of the branch, not too large, say from one to two inches in diameter. On this part make an incision through the bark in the form of the capital letter T, and raise or separate the bark from the wood with the ivory on the handle of the knife. The bud may then be pressed into place, cutting off square the portion that goes above the cross incision. Then with a strip of the bass matting wrap firmly around the branch above and below the eye, fastening tho end of the strip by a slip knot. This completes the operation, which can be successfully done even by a novice in less time titan it takes to describe it.— P. 2'. Quinn, in Scribner's Monthly.