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Show . - ' i , ... . . . . , j INFORMATION ON BUDDING FRUIT TREES We have had so many requests for Information 'about budding fruit trees that we are giving directions in this issue, as it is about the right time of the year to perform-this operation. It should be stated, however, that it rarely repays the average man to go to the trouble to bud his own trees unless he has some special varieties or strains which he wishes to perpetuate. Trees may now be procured more cheaply from reliable nurserymen who grow them in large numbers than they can be grown in a small way by amateurs ama-teurs : For budding, two things are necessary: neces-sary: first, a strong growing sprout or seedling not more than half an inch in diameter from the ground, and sec- through the bark and just into the wood about one-fourth inch above the bud and cutting downward underneath under-neath the bud and out again about one-fourth one-fourth of an inch below so that the bud has a shieldlike piece of bark and wood attached to it. As the leaf buds are found in the axils of the leaves it is convenient to leave a part of the leaf stalk attached to the bud as shown at X in the cut to act as a handle. When the bud has been cut raise the bark and force the bud down underneath under-neath as shown at D and tie in tightly with cotton tape or better with raffia which can be procured of any florist. After ten days loosen the tie so that it will not bind the bud too tightly, I M Ml 4i - l d y M $p"fp A B D METHOD OF BUDDING YOUNG FRUIT TREE. ond, some well-developed leaf buds from the tree it is desired to perpetuate. perpetu-ate. For example, plums may be budded on the sprouts which sometimes some-times spring up from the roots of an old plum tree or on small seedlings which have been grown from plum seeds. The amateur should not attempt at-tempt to bud one kind of fruit on another, an-other, for examplej plums on cherries. In the accompanying illustration A shows the young tree or stock with the bark cut through in the form of an upright cross. This allows the bark to be peeled back as shown at B for inserting the bud. The bud as cut for inserting is shown at C. It is cut from the variety wanted by cutting and again in another ten days, removing remov-ing it entirely in ten days more. This is all that is necessary for this season. sea-son. The bud will not grow this fall but will remain dormant the same as if it had been left on the original tree. The following spring if it has been set properly it will start to grow. The stock should then be cut off as shown by the dotted line Y so that all of the strength will go to the new shoot. The bud should be inserted as near the ground as possible so that the curve in tle trunk of the resulting tree will be near the ground. Budding should be done during August or early in September. National Stockman and Farmer. |