the point of
one's knife just underneath, so as slightly to raise the wood. Then,
with the blade of the knife and one's thumb above, it can easily be
removed with a slight jerk. Take great care that the root of the bud is
not removed also. The stock to be budded should have a T-shaped incision
made in the bark. With the ivory handle, which a proper budding knife
will have, raise the bark on either side of the longitudinal slit,
commencing at the corners just below where it joins the transverse
incision. Take great care that the knife handle does not penetrate
beneath the inner bark, but press it against the latter, slipping it
along. When the bark is sufficiently raised, carefully insert the bud
beneath, taking hold of it by the remaining portion of the leaf stalk.
It must not be forced down, but introduced as gently as can be,
otherwise there will be danger of injuring the vital cambium layer,
where the union is effected. Afterwards tie the bud around with matting,
to keep it in position and to prevent the entrance of air. Tie both
above and below the "eye," leaving this of course free. An excellent
indication as to whether or not the bud has taken is afforded by the
petiole (leaf stalk). If this, a few weeks afterwards, falls completely
away, one may be fairly certain that the bud has taken; if, on the other
hand, it withers away, one may be almost equally sure that the operation
has not been successful. The buds that have taken will commence to grow
in the following spring, and then the stocks must be cut back to within
a few inches of where the buds are inserted. Many nurserymen, if they
find that the bud has not taken, graft the same stock in the following
spring, instead of waiting to bud again in summer.

_Grafting_ consists in so attaching one shoot to another that they unite
and grow together. There are many different methods of grafting, but
that most usually employed in the grafting of pear trees is tongue or
splice grafting. This is done in the month of March, with firm growth of
the preceding year. First cut the stock in a sloping direction, and so
that the cut may terminate just above a bud if possible. "Great care
must be taken that the scions fit the stocks," is the recommendation of
one of our large nursery growers of pear trees, and one that should be
closely followed. Therefore choose a graft as nearly as possible of the
same size as the stock. Having cut the graft to a suitable length, say
nine or t