ODDS AND ENDS. 307 



by grafting, and that any tree that is prolific in throwing 

 up suckers may be root grafted, and also grown from cut- 

 tings. 



Consequently, "eye buds" failed, a fact that was ren- 

 dered extremely aggravating by the abundance of native 

 wild stock, and the value of the Japan persimmon. But 

 now that experience has taught us the needed lesson it is 

 all easy enough. 



First of all about the native stocks. Small trees are 

 best, with the stock not more than a quarter to half an 

 inch in diameter at the point of union, and to get good 

 stocks of this size they should be grown from the seed in 

 nursery rows. 



The persimmon in its wild state is naturally almost des- 

 titute of fine, fibrous roots, and it is a difficult matter to 

 transplant the proper size satisfactorily. The best and 

 quickest way, therefore, to get good strong Japan persim- 

 mons is to drop the seed of the native sort in January in 

 shallow drills about three inches apart, the rows being 

 three feet apart. Do not have the soil very rich or cultivate 

 the young seedlings very freely ; the native persimmon is a 

 strong, vigorous grower, and your object now is to regulate 

 it, so that by the time it is one year old, and sufficiently 

 matured to graft, the stock will not be larger than that 

 named above, for, if it exceeds half an inch in diameter 

 before being grafted, it is almost worthless, a proper union 

 being well-nigh hopeless. Grafts on one-year-old stock 

 that have not been transplanted will make a growth of 

 from three to six feet the first year. 



It is, however, as advantageous to transplant the per- 

 simmon twice, that is, once from the seed-bed to another 

 bed, and thence to the orchard, as it is to the orange, and 

 for the same reason, to promote the formation of fibrous 

 roots. Root pruning, by thrusting down a sharp spade 



