PROPAGAIION OF ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 



r is much to be regretted that the 

 propagation of many of our orna. 

 mental shrubs is so little under- 

 stood by amateur gardeners. There 

 is nothing more pleasing to the eye than 

 this class of plants, and as they can be 

 had in a succession of bloom through- 

 out the whole season from early spring 

 until late autumn they should be as 

 eagerly cultivated, especially by the 

 rural population, as either flowering or 

 foliage plants which decorate the gar- 

 dens of the small city lots. Where 

 grounds are of a sufificient size to show 

 their beauty there is nothing to compare 

 with these queens of Nature. 



A very interesting book might be 

 written on the propagation of shrubs, 

 their season of blooming, height and 

 general appearance, color and form of 

 flowers, general situation of sun or shade, 

 their capabilities of resisting cold, best 

 method of protection during winter 

 months, etc. 



The multiplying of many of them is a 

 perfectly simple matter, and when under- 

 stood is both easy and interesting. 



To propagate from cuttings as a rule, 

 wood should be selected from the cur- 

 rent year's growth that has been well 

 ripened ; make the cuttings eight to ten 

 inches long, dig a trench along a stretch- 

 ed line, keep the rows straight and from 

 two to three feet apart or even more 

 if the plants have to stand many years 

 in the nursery row. Place the back of 

 the spade to the line, the earth should 

 be thrown out on the side furthest from 

 the operator making a V shaped trench, 

 so that when the cuttings are laid in on 

 the side next the line they will not fall 

 over, place the cuttings in the trench 

 from four to six inches apart, partially 

 fill in with the soil thrown out, and firm 

 the soil at the base of the cuttings with 



a piece of wood made for the purpose, 

 say five feet long, two by six inches 



O 



square at the lower end, the rest may be 

 rounded ofif to make it handy and light, 

 the earth is only to be " firmed " not 

 rammed too tight, but it must be brought 

 snugly against the base of the cuttings 

 which should be placed in the trench so 

 as to leave the top bud or eye exposed 

 above the ground after the trench is 

 filled in level. 



The cuttings are best made the end 

 of October, or beginning of November, 

 when the wood has well ripened ; some 

 people advocate planting cuttings in the 

 autumn, but I prefer to tie them in 

 bunches by twisting a wire round them 

 (twine sometimes rots) and burying in a 

 dry place where the water will not re- 

 main on the surface of the ground, 

 doing the planting in the spring as des- 

 cribed. The object of making the cut- 

 tings in the fall is so that the callus 

 may form at the base ; this effort of 

 Nature always takes place previous to 

 the young rootlets being formed, and 

 this callus process goes on during the 

 winter months so that growth begins 

 earlier in the spring, than it would other- 

 wise do if the cuttings were made in 

 spring, giving the plant a longer season 

 and consequently greater growth during 

 summer. 



Many shrubs may be grown by taking 

 cuttings in May or June, after the leaves 

 are expanded and some new wood is 

 made, but they must be kept watered 

 and shaded for a short period until they 

 get time to root ; a little mulch on the 

 ground will also help to keep the soil 

 moist. The lower leaves of these green 

 cuttings must be removed, but the upper 

 ones are left above the ground. If the 



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