Vegetative Multiplication and Plant Propagation 231 



Bureau of Science, P. I. 



Fig. 133. Cuttings of sugar cane. This plant is not propagated by seeds, 

 but by pieces of the stalk placed in furrows in the field and partially covered 

 with earth. 



do not grow as tall as forests developed from seed, and they are 

 more subject to disease, because the trees become infected 

 through the decay of the stump. Nevertheless, coppice is a 

 rapid and efficient method of growing small timbers, posts, and 

 pulp wood. 



Advantages of vegetative propagation. Vegetative propaga- 

 tion has been found advantageous in crop plants wherever its 

 use is possible, (i) because desirable varieties which do not come 

 true from seeds may be perpetuated, (2) because some plants, 

 like the sugar cane, banana, and horse-radish, do not produce 

 seeds, (3) because it saves time in securing the product, as a 

 longer period is required for the maturing of plants started from 

 seeds, (4) because by grafting and budding plants may be grown 

 in regions where they could not survive, and standard plants may 

 be dwarfed to fit special conditions. y^C \C A/^^ 



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