Fig. 62. A stick of buds.
The buds are taken from strong and well-hardened shoots of the season’s growth and of the desired variety. Usually the whole of the present growth is cut, the leaves are removed, but a part of the petiole or stalk of each leaf is left (as in Figs. [61] and [62]) to serve as a handle to the bud. This trimmed shoot is then called a “stick.” A stick may bear two dozen good buds when the growth has been strong, but only ten or twelve buds are commonly secured. The upper buds, which are commonly not fully grown and which are borne on soft wood, are usually discarded. The buds are cut with a thin-bladed sharp knife. Various styles of budding knives are in use, and the budder usually has decided preferences for some particular pattern. The essentials of a good budding-knife are these: the very best steel, a thin blade which has a curved cutting end (as shown in Figs. [63] and [66]), and lightness. The curved end of the blade is used for making the incisions in the stock. The handle of the budding-knife usually runs into a thin bone scalpel at the end, and this portion is designed for the lifting or loosening of the bark on the stock. Some budders, however, raise the bark with the blade. A good form of blade, but one seldom made, has a rounded end, the upper side of the curve being ground simply to a thin edge. This blade may be used both for cutting the bark and loosening it, thus overcoming the necessity of reversing the knife every time a bud is set. If this form of blade were commonly known it would undoubtedly soon come into favor. The blade of a common budding-knife can be ground to this shape.
The bud is usually cut about an inch long. Most budders cut from below upwards, but some prefer to make a downward incision. It does not matter just how the bud is cut, if the surfaces are smooth and even and the bud is not too thick. On a stick a fourth or three-eighths inch through, the cut, at its deepest point just under the bud, is about one-fourth the diameter of the twig. A bit of wood is therefore removed with the bud, as shown in [Fig. 61]. There is some discussion as to whether this wood should be left upon the bud, but no definite experiments have been made to show that it is injurious to the resulting tree. Some budders remove the wood with the point of the knife or by a deft twist as the bud is removed from the stick. But buds appear to live equally well with wood attached or removed. Some propagators cut the buds as they go, while others prefer to cut a whole stick before setting any, letting each bud hang by a bit of bark at the top and which is cut off squarely when wanted, as shown in [Fig. 62].
The wound or matrix which is to receive the bud is made by two incisions, one vertical and one transverse ([Fig. 63]). These are light cuts, extending only through the bark. The vertical slit is usually made first and by the rounded end of the blade. This is an inch or inch and a half long. The transverse cut is made across the top of the vertical cut by one rocking motion of the blade towards the body. The corners of the bark may be lifted a little by an outward motion of the blade so as to allow the bud to be pushed in, but unless the bark slips very freely it will have to be loosened by the end of the blade or by the scalpel on the reverse end of the handle, as previously described. The bud is now inserted in the cleft of the bark. It is pushed down part way by the fingers, as in [Fig. 64], but it is usually driven home by pushing down upon the leaf-stalk handle with the back of the knife-blade. The entire bud should pass into the cleft; or if a portion of it should project above it should be cut off. If the bark peels freely, the bud will slip in easily and will follow the cleft, but if it sticks somewhat, more care is necessary to prevent the bud from running out. If the bark is very tight, it may have to be loosened with the knife throughout the length of the cleft; but budding should be performed, if possible, when such pains are not necessary.
Fig. 63. Preparing the stock.
The bud must now be tied. The whole matrix should be closed and bound securely, as represented in [Fig. 65]. The dotted lines parallel with the cleft show the extent to which the bud projects under the bark. The string is usually started below the bud, the end being held by lapping the second course over it, and the upper end being secured by drawing a bow through under the upper course. Care should be taken not to bind the string over the bud itself. The strings are previously cut the required length—about a foot—and the tying is performed very quickly. Any soft cord can be employed. Yarn and carpet warp are sometimes used. The most common material, at least until the last few years, has been bass matting. This is the inner bark of the bass-wood or linden. The bark is stripped in early summer, and the inner portion is macerated or “rotted” in water for four or five weeks. It is then removed, cut into the desired lengths, and stripped into narrow bands—one-fourth to one-half inch wide—when it may be sorted and stored away for future use. If it is stiff and harsh when it comes from the maceration, it should be pounded lightly or rubbed through the hands until it becomes soft and pliable. The best tying material which we now have is undoubtedly raffia. It is an imported article, coming from the eastern tropics (the product of the palm Raphia Ruffia), but it is so cheap that it will probably supersede even bass-bark. It is strong and pliable, and is an excellent material for tying up plants in the greenhouse, or small ones out-doors. The greatest disadvantage in its use in the budding field is its habit of rolling when it becomes dry.