Vol. X. No. 237. 



THE AGHICULTUKAL NEWS, 



165 



has given the best results. The propagation of .seedlings for 

 inarching the mangosteen is similar to that for the mango, 

 the most important clitTerence being that the roots of the 

 former plant need only be kept alive sutheiently long to give 

 some support to the seedling while the union is being made. 

 The following paragraph gives the instrm-tions that are 

 detailed in the Bulletin for carrying out the inarching. 



Place the stem of the seedling mangosteen close to that 

 part of the stem of the stock where it is desired to make the 

 union, then tie the root of the seedling, enclosed in a piece of 

 sacking, to the stem of the stock plant with a strand of ratfia. 

 After making the tie, and before cutting the ends of the 

 strand of raffiia, put in the wire support, and make 

 secure with raffia. Cut a slice from the stem of the stock, 

 going into the stem about one-third of its diameter. The 

 length of the slice is regulated by the length of available 

 stem in the seedling; 2 inches is desirable, but less will 

 suffice. Ne.xt, remove a piece of the stem of the seedling 

 exactly op[)osite the cut in the stock, exercising extreme care 

 in making one side of the cut on the scion fit evenly with 

 one side of tlie cut on the stock. Pay no attention to the 

 other edges of stock and scion, but bind firmly together and 

 the operation is complete. If the inarching is performed in 

 summer, and this seems the best time, make a puddle of 

 adhesive clay, mixing it with some raw cotton which has 

 been cut up fine with a pair of shears, apply this around the 

 parts to be united and allow it to dry. The clay servos two 

 purposes — it excludes air and it absorbs all the sap exuded 

 from the cut portions. The raw cotton prevents the puddled 

 clay from disintegrating while the union is taking place. 



It is stated to be useful for a few leaves on the stock to 

 be left growing after the removal of the top of this, and of 

 the roots of the seedling. The removal of the top of the 

 stock is brought about by cutting it iiartly through on the 

 side opposite to the seedling and then by severing it com- 

 pletely, ten days later. Where it is intended to remove the 

 roots of the seedling, the soil in which this is growing 

 should be allowed gradually to become dry. It is a matter 

 of some interest that seedlings made to grow on stocks in 

 this way often show a tendency to form roots of their own. 



PRorA(;.vTiox of the m.\ngosteen by the nuesi:- 

 I'LANT SYSTEM. In this method, both the .seedling and the 

 plant to which it is attached (the nur.se plant) arc permitted 

 to grow on their own roots after union has been eti'ected. 

 The instructions given for this method of propagation are 

 contained in the following paragraph, taken from the Bulletin. 



The nurse plants of Garcinia tinctoria should be 

 grown in small- sized pots, not larger than 4 inches, previous 

 to placing them in the G inch size. When getting their final 

 shift the ball should lie manipulated so thiit the stem of the 

 seedling will be a little to one side, so as to make room for an 

 empty 3-inch pot to be placed in the soil beside the stock 

 plant. When the stock plant is established in the soil, after 

 perhaps three or four weeks, that is, when tlie new roots have 

 had time to develop, the empty 3-incli pot is removed and 

 the root of a mangosteen taken from a pot of the same dimen- 

 sions is placed in the empty space and the soil carefully but 

 firmly rammed around it. Generous treatment will result in 

 further development of the root action of both mangosteen and 

 nurse stock. They are then inarched, and when the union is 

 satisfactory, which will be in about five weeks, the top part 

 of the stock above the inarch may be gradually removed. 

 The roots of both nurse plant and .scion are left undisturbed 

 because, if the stock dies, the root .system of the seedling man- 

 gosteen will probably have become strong enough to sustain 

 the plant by reason of the assistance given to it by the nurse 

 plant during its precarious stage; and if, on the other hand, 



the roots of the seedling succumb, it probably will be due to 

 the fact that the stock is supplying enough root action for 

 the mangosteen. 



It is not claimed that either of these methods for propa- 

 gating the mangosteen will continue to show success when the 

 plants are placed out in the open; further work is required to 

 determine this, and the present information is only published 

 on account of the promising nature of the results ol)tained 

 se far. 



PROPAGATION OF THE LITCHI BY INAECHINO. This is 



very similar to that already described for the mango. The 

 following account of the details of the method is taken 

 from the Bulletin. 



The method of propagation in its essential features is 

 like that described for the mango. The seedlings to be used 

 as stocks are taken from 3 inch pots, the soil on the upper 

 part of the ball removed, and a large handful of cocoa nut 

 fibre secured around the roots, by wrapping in a piece of 

 sacking about 8 inches square. These seedling stocks are 

 fastened to the stout branches of the parent litchi, or to 

 stakes set in the soil of the pot. The branchlets are then 

 inarched to the seedlings and tied with raffia, and the parts 

 to be united are covered with clay. During the few weeks 

 occupied in uniting, the roots of the seedlings make rapid 

 headway in the cocoa-nut fibre. The unions are invariably, 

 good when seedlings of the same species are used. If the 

 compound leaves on the scion are large, it is advisable to trim 

 them back slightly before severing the inarch from the parent 

 tree. After severing, the inarched plants may be potted and 

 placed in a close frame in the greenhouse, or they may be 

 put in shallow boxes and the roots covered with cocoa-nut 

 fibre, the atmosphere being kept moist. The sacking should 

 not be removed, because, when the scions have united, the 

 white roots of the seedlings will be found to have pierced the 

 covering, so that to remove this sacking would necessarily 

 injure the roots. The balls should be i)Ut in .5-inch or 6-inch 

 pots, as may be necessary; the soil should consist mainly of 

 decomposed leaves. 



It seems, as is claimed in the Bulletin, that the adoption 

 of these methods is likely to result in the simplification of 

 methods of propagation, and the saving of time in obtaining 

 planting material, and it appears that extension of the methods 

 would be useful, both in regard to the future propagation of 

 plants in this way, and its ai)plication to other species. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial (,'oinmissioner of Agriculture return- 

 ed to Barbados by the ll.M.S.' Clyde' on May 17, 1911, 

 from Grenada, after a visit to that Colon}^ for the pur- 

 pose of conferring with His Excellency the Governor of 

 the Windward Islands on general agricultural matters. 



The Secretary of State for the Colonies has been 

 pleased to appoint Mr. P. T. Saunders, M.R.C.V.S., as 

 Veterinary Officer on the Staff of the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for the West Indies. The duties 

 of this Officer will be to investigate the veterinary 

 conditions in the colonies whose agricultural depart- 

 ments are linked up with the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture. 



Mr. Saunders left England on May 24, and will 

 arrive in Barbados, to take up the duties of his appoint- 

 ment, on June .5, 1911. 



