BUDDING, in gardening, is a method of propagation, practised for various sorts of trees, but particularly those of the fruit kinds. It is the only method which can be had recourse to,with certainty, for continuing and multiplying the approved varieties of many sorts of fruit and other trees ; as, although their seeds readily grow, and become trees, not one out of a hundred, so raised, produces any thing like the original; and but very few that are good. But trees or stocks raised in this manner, or being budded with the proper sorts, the buds produce invariably the same kind of tree, fruit, flower, &c. continuing unalterably the same after wards.
The stocks for this use are commonly raised from seed, as the kernels or stones of these different sorts of fruit, &c. sown in autumn or spring in beds, in the nur sery, an inch or two deep, which, when a year or two old, should be transplanted into nursery rows, two feet asunder, and fifteen or eighteen inches distant in the rows, to stand for budding upon, keeping them to one stem, and suffering their tops to run up entire ; when of two or three years growth, or about the size of the little finger at bottom, or a little more, they are of a due size for budding upon.
Stocks raised from suckers arisingfrom the roots of the trees of these different sorts, layers, and cuttings of them, are also made use of, but they are not so good for the purpose. Budding may likewise be performed occasionally upon trees that already bear fruit, when intended to change the sorts, or have different sorts on the same tree, or to renew any par ticular branch of a tree ; the ope-ation being performed on the young shoots of the year, or of one or two year's growth only. The most proper height to bud stocks varies according to the intention, but from about three or four inches to six feet or more from the ground is prac tised. To have dwarf trees for walls, and espaliers, &c, they must he budded from within, about three to six inches from the bottom, that they may first furnish branches near the ground ;for half stand ards, at the height of three or four feet and for full standards, at from about five to six or seven feet high ; the stocks be ing trained accordingly. The necessary implements and materials for this pur pose are, a small budding knife for pre paring the stocks and buds for insertion, having a flat thin haft to open the bark of the stocks in order to admit the buds ; and • cr•antity of new bass strings well moistened, to tie them with. In perform
ing the operation of budding, the head of the stock is not to be cut off, as in grafting, but the bud inserted into the side, the head remaining entire till the spring afterwards, and then cut off. A smooth part on the side of the stocks at the proper height, rather on the north side away from the sun, should be chosen; and then with the knife an horizontal cut made across the rind, and from the mid dle of that cut a slit downwards about two inches in length, in the form of the letter T, being careful lest the stalk be wound ed. Then, having cut off the leaf from the bud, leaving the foot-stalk remaining, make a cross-cut about half an inch be low the eye, and with the knife slit off the bud with part of the wood to it, some what in the form of an escutcheon, pull ing off that part of the wood which was taken with the bud, being careful that the eye of the bud be left with it, as all those buds which lose their eyes in stripping should be thrown away as good for nothing : then having gently raised the hark of the stock, where the cross incision was made with the flat haft of the knife clear to the wood, thrust the bud in, placing it smoothly between the rind and the wood of the stock, cutting off any part of the rind, belonging to the bud, which may be too long tier the slit ; and after having exactly fitted the bud to the stock, tie them closely round with bass strings, beginning at the under part of the slit and proceed to the top, taking ° care not to bind round the eye of the bud, which should be left open and at liberty. • When the buds have been in serted about three weeks or a month, examine which of them have taken ; those which appear shrivelled and black being dead, but such as remain fresh and plump are joined; and at this time loosen the bandage, which, if not done in time, is apt to pinch the stock, and greatly in jure, if not destroy, the bud. The March following, cut off the stock about three inches above the bud, sloping it, that the wet may pass off, and not enter into the stock. To the part of the stock which is left, some fasten the shoot which pro ceeds from the bud, to prevent the dan ger of its being blown out, but this must continue no longer than one year ; after which it must be cut off close above the bud, that the stock may be covered by it.