PROPAGATING FRUIT TREES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 24, 11 December 1912, Page 42

PROPAGATING FRUIT TREES.

Budding;. Ihe propagation of fruit trees, generally speaking, i' a tiu?k which (esentially belongs to the nurseryman who h’.- the knowledge and the facilities for tarrying out the operations. At the same, time, the amateur who desires to try h’s hand will find the work, in it*s many ami varied phases, extremely interesting. ami it will immensely add to the pleasure of the garden. It wan customary year;- ago tu rely very largely Upon grafting for apple* ami pear-, but in comparatively recent times it has 1 ■«•<•)! prox 'd that budding given a better tree, and therefore it is done with the kiiii* named just as it is with plums, poaches, nectarines, and cherries, none of whi<h are quite a* satisfactory when grafted ;Ts when budded. The’operation, no matter what the particular fruit may be. i«s one ’hat meet be carried out in the summer. The Stock. This the rout portion of the plant ami it i* absolutely nec<**ary (hat it Fhall be in a state of perfect health ami cleanliness. To insert fine Imdis on an unhealthy utock i< to court disaster ami <l\’pp dntment, while to work tWe that are dirty from insect infestation? or <»tlu r caune ie fully, because time, n.om v an 1 labour are simply thrown •. w.iy: the root- mu*t bo equally as clean and healthy a-, the bramhru. It i«- nece'-.ary, too. that the bark shall be in -aitable condition. To put the Bud in it> place it ie • .--••mial that the baik -hall ri-e easily un ear-h r-ide of the cut: if it w ill md du s<> the *t<» k i- not piit * rea<ly. while if it at once peels it in on the reverse, ur overripe, side, and r-a.i,« by no mean* a* —ured. But furthi r attention w ill Ire drawn to this matter whin insertion is bein’ <lpLbed. The Bitd. l ii’i-. al*o, ha* 4 o be in a certain condition if *u< < i ><- in*t< a 1 of failure in to I-* the reward, and it inav be i.e-ertid tj.it w’f-n ,i m.ui hi- gained sulln-ient < xpi rieii «• pre. i-i ly to judge whether the bud ami th- b.uk are in a suitable .-late he hl- ma-trred the ser.-hs of ' ' •-Jul budding. Ihe bud will be cut no.ii th - variety it i* «1« *ir« d to in- < " i- • ami with it will rome a thin f’i.e Of th • A 1. The -heath of the bud i- tak< n n the left hand and th* point oi t’.if knife m in-erted beneath t.’ie inner w«m>l. the thumb pail pressing it clouds to th blade; then pulling < o'liim n ••* and ii th * wood instantly lii«4 out the b ld is u\ « l lipe. while if it )s really hard labour to get it nut it le underripe. uii<l neither vomlition is tfondm ixe to r-uThen* uhonld b* a -distinct adhesion of the wood to the •heath, but a Steady pull ought to bo

suHkient to remove it without raising a doubt in f the mind as to whether the base of the bud has been damaged in the process or not. Such a bud properly inserted and correctly tied in will almost certainly grow.

The Cuts and Insertion. In preparing to insert the buds two cuts must be made on the stock, and they should correspond approximately ■with the length and width of the bud sheath. Thus if the latter is 1 inch long and i inch wide the upward cut ou the stock should be of similar length and cross cut of similar width forming a long-legged capital T. Then with the haft of the knife the bark on each side must be gently raised from the top downwards, and in this again there should be undoubted adhesion without hard pulling on the one hand or flying up on the other. This done the bud sheath must be taken by the stump of the leaf and firmly pressed down into position, and if the cuts are correct the bud will be midway between the top and bottom of the cut. Tying in completes the operation, and it must be done firmly with soft material and in such a way that the newly inserted bud is not strangled by the ercas tie coming over in the axil. With growth this liga-

ture will have to W cut away and a looser one put on, but this is a matter of weeks and sometimes months later, according to circumstances. —“The Gardent r.”