XXXII.
THE PROPAGATION OF
PLANTS.
THIS is an occupation requiring much attention and constant care.
Bulbous roots are propagated by offsets; some growing on the top, other
around the sides. Many plants are propagated by cutting off twigs, and
setting them in earth, so that two or three eyes are covered. To do
this, select a side shoot, ten inches long, two inches of
it being of the preceeding year's growth, and the rest the growth of the
season when it is set. Do this when the sap is running, and put a piece
of crockery at the bottom of the shoot, when it is buried. One eye, at
least, must be under the soil. Water it and
shade it in hot weather.
Plants are also propagated by layers. To do this, take a shoot
which comes up near the root, bend it down so as to bring several
eyes under the soil, leaving the top above-ground. If the shoot be cut
half through, in a slanting direction, at one of these eyes, before
burying it, the result is more certain. Roses, honeysuckles, and many
other shrubs are readily propagated thus. They will generally take root
by being simply buried; but cutting them as here directed is the best
method. Layers are more certain than cuttings.
Budding and Grafting, for
all woody plants, are favorite methods of propagation. In all such
plants, there is an outer and inner bark, the latter containing the sap
vessels, in which the nourishment of the tree ascends. The success of
grafting or inoculating consists in so placing the bud or graft that the
sap vessels of the inner bark shall
exactly join those of the plant into which they are grafted, so that the
sap may pass from one into the other.
The following are directions for
budding, which may be performed at any time from July to
September:
[Illustration: An illustration of the stalk of a leafy plant with
one leaf removed for a cutting. The cut section is set off from the main
stalk and labeled with italicized letters, indicating where it was cut
from.]
Select a smooth place on the stock into which you are to insert the
bud. Make a horizontal cut across the rind through to the firm wood; and
from the middle of this, make a slit downward perpendicularly, an inch
or more long, through to the wood. Raise the bark of the stock on each
side of the perpendicular cut, for the admission of the bud,
as is shown in the annexed engraving, (Fig. 64.) Then take a shoot
of this year's growth, and slice from it a bud, taking an inch
below and an inch above it, and some portion of the wood under it. Then
carefully slip off the woody part under the bud. Examine whether the eye
or germ of the bud be perfect. If a little hole appear in that part, the
bud has lost its root, and another must be selected. Insert the bud, so
that a, of the bud, shall pass
to a, of the stock; then b, of
the bud, must be cut off, to match the cut b, in the stock, and fitted
exactly
to it, as it is this alone which insures success. Bind the parts with
fresh bass or wollen yarn, beginning a little below the
bottom of the perpendicular slit, and winding it closely around every
part, except just over the eye of the bud, until you arrive above the
horizontal cut. Do not bind it too tightly, but just sufficient to
exclude air, sun, and wet. This is to be removed after the bud is firmly
fixed, and begins to grow.
Seed-fruit can be budded into any other seed-fruit, and stone-fruit
into any other stone-fruit; but stone and seed-fruits can not be thus
mingled.
Rose-bushes can have a variety of kinds budded into the same stock.
Hardy roots are the best stocks. The branch above the bud must be cut
off the next March or April after the bud is put in. Apples and pears
are more easily propagated by ingrafting than by budding.
[Illustration: An illustration of two twigs cut at a steep slant.
The illlustration is labeled with italicized letters showing how the two
twigs fit together.]
Ingrafting is a similar
process to budding, with this advantage, that it can be performed on
large trees, whereas budding can be applied only on small ones. The two
common kinds of ingrafting are whip-grafting and split-grafting. The
first kind is for young trees, and the other for large ones.
The time for ingrafting is from May to October. The cuttings must be
taken from horizontal shoots, between Christmas and March,
and kept in a damp cellar. In performing the operation, cut off in a
sloping direction (as seen in Fig. 65) the tree or
limb to be grafted. Then cut off in a corresponding slant the
slip to be grafted on. Then put them together, so that the inner bark of
each shall match exactly on one side, and tie them firmly together with
yellow yarn. It is not essential that both be of equal
size; if the bark of each meet together exactly
on one side, it answers the
purpose. But the two must not differ much in size. The slope should be
an inch and a half, or more, in length. After they are tied together,
the place should be covered with a salve or composition of
bees-wax and rosin. A mixture of clay
and cow-dung will answer the same purpose. This last must
be tied on with a cloth. Grafting is more convenient than
budding, as grafts can be sent from a great distance; whereas buds must
be taken in July or August, from a shoot of the present year's growth,
and can not be sent to any great distance.
[Illustration: An illustration of two branches being grafted into a
sawed-off and split tree trunk. One branch has been inserted into the
trunk already, while the other is set off to the side. The illustration
is labeled with italicized letters.]
This engraving (Fig. 66) exhibits the mode called
stock-grafting; a being the
limb of a large tree, which is sawed off and split, and is
to be held open by a small wedge till the grafts are put
in. A graft inserted in the limb is shown at
b, and at
c is one not inserted, but
designed to be put in at d, as
two grafts can be put into a large stock. In inserting the graft, be
careful to make the edge of the inner bark of the graft meet exactly the
edge of the inner bark of the stock; for on this success depends. After
the grafts on this success depends. After the grafts are put in, the
wedge must be withdrawn, and the whole of the stock be covered with the
thick salve or composition before mentioned, reaching from
where the grafts are inserted to the bottom of the slit. Be careful not
to knock or move the grafts after they are put in.
Pruning is an operation of
constant exercise, for keeping plants and trees in good condition. The
following rules are from a distinguished horticulturist: Prune off all
dead wood, and all the little twigs on the main limbs. Retrench
branches, so as to give light and ventilation to the interior of the
tree. Cut out the straight and perpendicular
shoots, which give little or no fruit; while those which are most nearly
horizontal, and somewhat curving, give fruit abundantly and of good
quality, and should be sustained. Superfluous and ill-placed buds may be
rubbed off at any time; and no buds pushing out after midsummer should
be spared. In choosing between shoots to be retained, preserve the
lowest placed, and on lateral shoots, those which are nearest the
origin. When branches cross each other so as to rub, remove one or the
other. Remove all suckers from the roots of trees or shrubs. Prune after
the sap is in full circulation, (except in the case of grapes,) as the
wounds then heal best. Some think it best to prune before the sap begins
to run. Pruning-shears, and a pruning-pole, with a chisel at the end,
can be procured of those who deal in agricultural utensils.
Thinning is also an
important but very delicate operation. As it is the office of the leaves
to absorb nourishment from the atmosphere, they should never be removed,
except to mature the wood or fruit. In doing this, remove such leaves as
shade the fruit, as soon as it is ready to ripen. To do it earlier
impairs the growth. Do it gradually at two different times. Thinning the
fruit is important, as tending to increase its size and flavor, and also
to promote the longevity of the tree. If the fruit be thickly set, take
off one half at the time of setting. Revise in June, and then in July,
taking off all that may be spared. One
very large apple to every square foot is a rule that may be a
sort of guide in other cases. According to this, two hundred large
apples would be allowed to a tree whose extent is fifteen feet by
twelve. If any person think this thinning excessive, let him try two
similar trees, and thin one as directed and leave the other unthinned.
It will be found that the thinned tree will produce an equal weight, and
fruit of much finer flavor.
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