METHODS OF PKOPAGATION. 83 



(39) The swamp blueberry has been propagated by grafting, by budding, by 

 layering, by twig cuttings, and by root cuttings. 



On March 2, 1909, a few scions of the hirge-berried bush from New 

 Hampshire, dormant winter twigs, were grafted on seedlings of 1907 

 Avhich had been started into growth in the greenhouse. The actual 

 Avork of grafting was done by Mr. Edward Goucher. All were 

 simple splice grafts, the diagonal cut being about 0.75 of an inch in 

 length, the diameter of stock and scion at the point of contact about 

 0.15 of an inch, and the length of the scion about 2.5 inches after it 

 was cut ofi' at the tip just below the lowest flowering bud. The 

 splice was wrapped tightly and completely with raffia, but no wax was 

 applied except to the cut tip of the scion. In order to prevent a pos- 

 sible injurious degree of evaporation from the scion, the Avhole graft, 

 which was near the base of the plant, was surrounded nearly to the 

 tip of the scion with a loose mass of sphagnum, which was kept 

 slightly moist though well aerated. 



All the scions put out new growth from their buds in about ten days. 

 In half the grafts union did not take place, the new growth finally 

 collapsed, and the scion died. In the others the surfaces united 

 satisfactorily and the wrapping was removed. By the end of the 

 season of 1909 the grafts had made a growth of 5 to 8 inches and 

 had laid down flowering buds. (See PL XVI, fig. 1.) 



The first experiments in budding were begun on August 13, 1909, 

 the work being done by Mr. Henry H. Boyle. Seven seedlings of 

 1900 and 1907 Avere budded with summer leaf buds of the large- 

 berried Vacciniuni corymhosum bush from NeAv Hampshire. On 

 August 10, other seedlings of 1900 and 1907 were budded with buds 

 from large-berried plants of F. pallidum from North Carolina. On 

 September 2 and 3, 1909, 20 more seedlings, of 1907 and 1908, were 

 budded with buds from the New Hampshire bush. The buds were 

 inserted near the base of the plant on stems 0.25 to 0.5 of an inch in 

 diameter. The method of procedure was that used in ordinary bud- 

 ding, as of peaches, the same T-shaped cut being made in the bark of 

 the stock, the bud wood cut to the length of half an inch or a little 

 more, and the bud after insertion wrapped tightl}^ Avith raffia. 



The percentage of success in the budding was small. Out of the 39 

 plants budded only 10 retained their bud alive and in apparently 

 good condition at the end of the season, and the following s})ring 

 onl\' 5 Avere alive and in condition to o;roAv. Plate XVI, figure 2, 

 is a reproduction of a photograph of one of the successful buds from 

 the large-berried New Hampshire bush, taken in the Avinter of 1909- 

 10 after union had taken place, the Avrapping had been removed, and 

 the stock had been cut oif abo\^e the bud. 



Comments on some of the features of these budding experiments 

 may be useful to other experimenters. The groAvth of the stems 



to' 

 103 



