A BUDDING SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 5

A BUDDING SEASON.

:/■■'; SOME NOTESi ON THE WORK., ••• \Thisws. the.month.of- .buddirig,/ and some notes on'the'wprk will be,.app'ropriate.,-.Mr. , John ■ Osborne, horticultural - instructor,'; to\ .the ..Government' , of Tasmania,V where the apples igrow; thus,refers''to the .operation. ... "Budding-is vth'e operation by.,which;.a bud,. ,:with avpqrtion- of- bark, is' taken .from a tree ■■or,-.plant and, inserted, beneathvthe. bark of another tree :or. stock, as. jnYthe : case 'of youngy.tr.ees, -or.' beneath: the bark,.of ; 'the 1 same. tree. ;_This. is. at-times necessary,: as ~ some parts; of the tree • may. fail to. produce branches.,.. The;' main., principle of- budding is ; the 'same as- in ■ grafting.-'The : ,unioni.-is etfeoted ;by.means 'of .the / orgonisablo majtter,the ■ cambium, ; which., is ■' found, between ,'tjie' alburnum ;and. the inner, .bark; and the:siic-. I cess of. the operation 7. depends upon -the

abundance of, that matter being,such as to permit 'of tho bark being easily', lifted from the- wood. - When .both the'stock .and the tree from which tho bud'is taken are in that condition, which is usually during the earlier part, of • December, and. oftan ■ continues till the. middle or end of the March following, especially if there is; a 'moUt- summer, the union is'most readily effected. There are times when the flow of sap is checked, and the,': bark- will not lift readily (this will be noticed during a dry spell). At? suoh.times budding should not be attempted. ' Still, moist, warm weather is the , most' suitable; very dry,, hot weather, with a "fiery sun is likely to kill the- buds, and during : such |: weather; budding should riot -.be attempted. .Irrigation', with the: water, at a fairly even temperatnre, .will assist the union very materially.'in a' dry season. ' Rainy weather, is injurious, for when water gets into • the wound it decomposes tho. sap, and organisation cannotjproceed so as to form'a.union. . < There are several modes of performing the operation, -but shield or T budding is- the method'-'generally adopted, it having'proved to be the most successful. "When operating, the, shoot containing the buds ; to be used shouldbe taken off, arid the heels placed in a:little clean water, the fresher the better, till the stocks are ready for working.. A cut the- shape of aT is made.in the stock large enough to admit the bud. , A bud is then'.taken- out of the shoot,' by inserting the knife-about half an inch above the bud. The cut should be made , so " that the" bud is -in -the centre of the shield, the shield being from , a' quarter to half ah' inch wide' at sloping off .to a point, at the lowest.end. The petiole, or. leaf stalk should be'; cutT through. at half its. length,. and the bud inserted by holding the petiole between :the thumb and, finger, ;and.inserting tho lowest ■ point. the bud at the.top, of ■the: T, '■pushing:, gently, the .while till 'the whole of.the bud and shield is under the bark of ■: the"-.stock.... The . "petiole".', is .'hen ."righted", till .it is in the centre of the T, and the binding is then applied, using a soft twine or raffia, and not tied too tightly, for . it. is', essential that "a; free circulation of sap should.continue'. In taking the. wood out of. the shield,' care should be taken so that.the base',of the| '.bud, or;.as-some- call it,,' the '!core,">is not reriioved. Should this come a'way.ileayirig.a hole at the base of the b'ud, ■.it/will'not;succeed, , and.a new one must be. chosen.' The'base .'of the'bud is of a greenish colour,..and'of a pulpy nature, and it,is.the c'biimencement of what is known; as the medullary sheath, ; the : upper , part of which : is :'the ; .eve:.pr, growing'point-of the-bud;: If the, wood comes out, clean, with' the exception of, the .substances' just "mentioned,,'■'the bud is ready --.for' insortiom '; The operation, to be done .siiccesfully, should, be done quickly, for the;-'organising-.tissue, is very delicate,, and soon becomes ,vit|ated : or spoilt ,if exposed-to the, action, of the air for any length of :timo. 'This,.will: be''seen• if, thei operator.vwill,take; , thq : trouble' to' notice the effect of exposing the .wound :to. the air. ; The cambium .will- be-: ! c6me quite brown, and in a short'time a thin' ■ lajjer. of, bark will be formed,! and ' although. \this may protect fresh tissue, that -is formed. .under it, yet it can: never- unite withjivingtissue placed in contact, with. ■it.-.: '■■'• In: the or tjiree.weeks.it will be seen 1 ;whether,'the.buds-have.taken..,lf the petiolo ■oA being touched drops off readily, it is a ■ sign that the'bud has taken,,or become united 'with the stock; on the contrary, if the petiole! : withers ■ or 'shrivels, -it -is' '• an i indication that the-budas-dead •Oγ-dying...As,soon as it is.:kriowh that the buds>have.becoriie united iwitH. the' stock, the ties should be loosened ior cutj.andi.the budsseen to. occasionally, and in aT>out:six;weeks "from tho time of budding ithey'miyibe'jremoyed altogether , . i:\Vhen;the bud'" shows. signs, of'pushing,. tho''^tock.'ijf .necessary, : may be headed;back.to within half .'an-irich pfthe top 'of the '■shield.-;' The biid, ;will',.tfien : begin, rapidly,-"arid in the icourso.of. the growing is'eason.'a nico tree will be formed'.''-On the other, hand,, if-the .bud 'is. left; dormant ftill'the'rwintei'prunjngi.! the heading'back.'may be.lefti.till 'that-.time. If ;the budding''is 'done .irilßecemberj'i the bud 'is'. , better'.'to.; be pushed right, , 'away; 'and rio^ tirheMs lost.; 'but if 'the: budding; is,iript vdone 'till, late,'in thefsuhimer, 1 it'will ■Hβ'.-fetter'.to 'leave: thd-lbud-'d'orniant till -'the : spring, When ja; vigorous'shoot may be looked for. , ;; ; ; ';'