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subject there, and all who value a good fence will rejoice over its removal. There cannot be a good hedge where the Dog-roses abound. The autumn is the best time to remove them, and a mattock is the fittest instrument for the purpose. Before replanting in the garden the roots should be trimmed close with a bill, bruising them as little as possible in the operation, and the tops shortened of various lengths, according to their size or straightness. The Boursault and Manettii Rose may be either struck from cuttings made in autumn, or purchased at the nurseries. The crimson Boursault is allowable as a stock for Tea-scented and Chinese Roses intended for pot-culture. The Manettii is desirable for hardy kinds when an extremely vigorous growth is desired. The latter has been recommended for kinds of delicate growth, which do not thrive well on the Dog-rose, but my experience does not uphold the recommendation. If a change of stock is necessary for such, it would seem that one of a finer, not coarser nature than the Dogrose should be employed. That the plants grow more vigorously on the Manettii the first year we do not deny, but their subsequent decline is also more rapid.

As the stocks shoot forth in spring they will sometimes produce buds from the base to the top all should be removed but two or three nearest the summit. Three placed triangularly are best, when the two lower ones-which should range on opposite sides-may be budded, and the upper one cut away so soon as the stranger-buds are developed.

The operation of budding consists in transferring from one tree a small piece of bark containing an embryo bud, and inserting it beneath the bark of another tree.

No. 38.

Budding.

This piece of bark is called the bud, d: the tree in which it is inserted is called the stock. The only implement necessary in the operation is the budding-knife, of which there are various forms, but that called Curtis's is perhaps the best. Let us suppose we have a stock which we are wishing to convert into some favourite variety. In the first place, obtain a shoot from the tree whose identity we wish it to bear; from this the leaves are cut off, leaving, however, about half an inch of the leaf-stalk to every bud. Before proceeding farther, the prickles should be rubbed off both stock and scion, that they may not interfere with the operation, or annoy the fingers of the operator. Now take the budding-knife in the right hand and make a longitudinal cut, a a, about an inch in length, terminated at the top end, b, with a cross-cut. In using the knife, take care not to cut too deep: through the bark is all that is necessary; deeper is, indeed, injurious. Now turn the handle of the knife to the incision, running it up and down the cut a a, twisting it slightly on either side to raise the bark. All is now ready for the reception of the strangerbud. Take the shoot which is to furnish it in the left hand, with the thicker part towards the finger-ends. With the knife in the right hand commence cutting about half an inch behind the bud, passing the knife upwards under the bud, and to about the same distance beyond it. The knife should have a keen edge, that the bark may not be ruffled in the operation. In cutting out the bud, the knife should pass through almost level: it may, however, in some cases, dip a trifle when passing directly under the bud, as the wood before and behind it are not always on the same level. If the bud be cut ever so skilfully there will be a little of the wood adhere thereto. This some advise the removal of; others say, let it remain. Much depends on circumstances. If the shoot is not fully ripe, or if, from the nature of the variety, the wood is soft when taken, cut the bud as shallow as possible, and place it, with the wood, in the stock. But the shoot is usually firm and ripe, and then the wood should be withdrawn. To do this easily, place the bud between the forefinger and thumb of the left hand, with the cut uppermost, and with the upper end pointing from the hand. Insert the point of the knife just beneath the wood, c-that is, between the wood and the bark-and by a skilful twist of the knife, which can only be acquired by practice, the wood may be jerked out. Now, with the same hand place the bud on the bark of the stock parallel with the longitudinal incision, and with the upper end towards the top of the shoot; then with the handle of the knife raise the bark on the side opposite to that on which the bud is placed, pushing two-thirds of the bud beneath the bark with the thumb. Now raise the bark on the opposite side, and the bud may be gently pushed under with the handle of the knife, or will probably drop in. When properly placed, the eye of the bud should be directly under the opening caused by the raising of the edges of the bark of the longitudinal incision f: if it be not so, the handle of the budding-knife should be inserted beneath the bark, to push it to a right position. But if the bud be not deprived of the leaf-stalk, if that is allowed to protrude from the opening, the eye will be secured in the best site.

After being inserted, the bud should be drawn upwards to the cross-cut, and the upper end cut at the same angle, that its bark may abut against the bark of the stock laid open by the cross-cut b. The bud then is inserted, and it now remains to bind it in. For this purpose take worsted or bast; the former is generally preferred. Commence tying at the bottom of the cut, passing upwards till the whole length of the incision is bound over. Where the buds are feeble, or where success is deemed important, it is customary to tie a little damp moss or a leaf over the bud after the operation is completed, which is in no case objectionable, except on account of the additional time it occupies.

About three weeks after the operation has been performed the worsted may be removed. If the bud is not well united, let it be tied up loosely again: if it is, leave it untied, and there is an end of care till the following spring. In February the wild shoot may be cut away two inches beyond the bud, when the latter will break, and soon form a tree. It is often said that it is unnecessary for the bud to remain so long dormant, and that it may be made to break; and, if an Autumnal Rose, even to flower the same year. We admit the truth of this statement, but condemn the practice. It is accomplished by cutting off the wild shoot a few inches above the bud, or by tying a ligature tightly round it at the same distance. The object sought is, to cut off certain channels through which the sap naturally flows, that it may become concentrated in the vicinity of the bud. The results are, usually, premature development, and an unsound plant. Let a certain number of plants be treated thus, and allow the buds inserted in others to lie dormant till spring defer judgment for one year, and see, at the expiration of that term, which form the healthier and sounder plants. Unquestionably the latter. If the buds break soon after inserted the shoots are puny and weakly, evidently suffering from want of nourishment; if allowed to lie dormant till spring, they have a rich store of food at their command, and grow with surprising vigour. When a bud has shot a few inches, and formed three or four good leaves, the heart of the shoot may be pinched out, when, from the axil of each leaf, an eye will in time push forth. In May the stock may be headed down close to where the bud has been inserted, and if the growth be vigorous the wound made in so doing will quickly cicatrize, and a perfect plant is the result.

If the best time for budding be demanded, we should give July. It does not, however, require great penetration to see that this point depends in some measure on the season. The practised hand will cut and raise the bark to ascertain when it parts freely from the wood; the tyro will find a criterion in the prickles. If slight pressure cause them to separate from the bark, the stocks are in good order, and the fitness of the shoots or scions may be ascertained by the same test. If the weather be hot and sunny, morning and evening are the best periods for budding. A July sun pouring down his rays upon the operator is not altogether pleasant, and, in regard to the operation, does not increase the chances of success. The shoot from which the buds are to be taken should not be cut from the tree till we

are ready for action; and the less time that elapses between the different branches of the work the better: the bud should be cut out, inserted, and tied immediately.

The Wild-roses are sometimes budded in the hedges where they grow, which is called "Hedge-budding." If it be intended to remove them afterwards to the Flower-garden the practice is not worthy of attention: it is far better to transfer them as stocks, and bud those which grow after removal. But if done with the view of ornamenting parks, &c., by leaving the plants in the hedges, the idea is a good one. Bud them as heretofore described, taking care to eradicate suckers, which usually arise in great abundance, and soon starve the plants if left unchecked.

4. Grafting. It is sometimes asked whether grafted Roses are equal to budded ones? When the junction becomes perfect they are quite as good, but the scion and stock do not always thoroughly coalesce; owing to which, more imperfect plants are raised by this mode than by any other.

In selecting stocks for grafting, whether they be Manettii, Boursault, or Dogroses, they should be secured of various sizes; the majority, however, about the thickness of an ordinary cedar-pencil. It is well to pot them in 60-sized pots one year before required for use. The best time for grafting Roses in pots is January, and the stocks should be placed in bottom heat a week or ten days beforehand. All kinds will succeed grafted, but the hard-wooded ones do the best. The forms most generally practised are, 1. Cleft-grafting, 2. Wedge-grafting, and 3. Whipgrafting.

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1. Cleft-grafting. We shall first describe and illustrate this mode, and afterwards refer briefly to the others. Here the stocks should be larger than the scions. The latter, which may be taken from the plants as required for use, should be well-ripened shoots, cut into lengths of about an inch and a half. The tops of shoots are seldom fitted for scions: two-thirds of their length is, generally speaking, as much as can be used with advantage. Each scion should have two, three, or four buds: two are sufficient to produce a fine plant. In performing the operation, first cut the stock quite level at the top; then insert the point of the knife at a, drawing it down towards the root in an oblique direction. Now make a corresponding cut, commencing at c, so that the two cuts terminate in a point b. Thus a piece of the stock is cut out, and the opening made is in the form of the letter V. With regard to the width and length of the cut, this must be regulated by the size of the grafts in hand: as to depth, the wound should not extend quite so far as the centre or pith of the stock. The piece being removed, the scion d, must be cut to fill up the vacuity; and the better it does this the greater is the chance of success. The most essential point is, to bring the inner bark of the scion in exact contact with the inner bark of the stock. When the scion is fitted in, it should be bound securely there with soft bast. It is then necessary to cover the place of junction with some composition that will effectually exclude air and water. For this purpose, take the following ingredients: five-eighths black pitch, one-eighth each of bees'-wax, tallow, and resin. Put them together in a glue-pot and melt them down over a slow fire. The best way of laying on the composition is by the use of a flat stick. It is not necessary to cover the whole of the bandage. Take care, however, that the lines where the barks join-indeed whatever part the wound extends to-be rendered impervious to air and moisture. The wound at the top of the stock should be covered, and also the summit of the scion. Care must be taken not to apply the composition too hot, or the bark will be scalded, and success rendered doubtful. A good way to test its fitness for use is, to place a little on the finger of the operator, when, if it does not cause any unpleasant sensation, it may be used without fear. This composition, though soft and pliable in a warm state, becomes hard and impenetrable when cold.

2. Wedge-grafting.-This is more simple than the foregoing. In many points the modes of procedure are the same: we have only to notice the differences. Instead of inserting the scion in one side of the stock, we here split the stock down the centre to the extent of an inch or so, and insert the graft in the slit. In preparing the graft, pare off equal parts from two opposite sides, that the lower end may be in the form of a wedge. Push the wedge in the slit of the stock, binding it firmly in, and covering with the composition as before.

3. Whip-grafting.-It is not important here that the stock and scion be of the same size. The former should be cut level at the top, as before, to within a few inches of the base: both should be cut in an oblique direction, taking care to make the cuts smooth and even, and of the same length and slope, that the bark

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