80 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE DIFFERENT MODES OF PROPAGATING FRUIT TREES. 



General Remarks. The propagation of fruit trees may 

 be classed under two principal heads the Natural, 

 which is by seeds ; and the Artificial, by the division of 

 the plants, as in cuttings, layers, suckers, buds, and grafts. 



PROPAGATION BY SEEDS. 



Seedling fruit trees are propagated either to obtain new 

 varieties, or stocks for budding or grafting. It is only 

 where the very rudest system of fruit culture is practised 

 as, for instance, in newly-settled countries that seed- 

 lings are planted out to bear, for the reason that, unless 

 in very rare instances, varieties worthy of cultivation do 

 not reproduce themselves from seed. The important dif- 

 ferences that exist between the seeds of different classes 

 of fruit trees render it necessary to treat of each sepa- 

 rately ; their management will therefore be given in detail, 

 in connection with the propagation of stocks. 



There are some points, however, of general application, 

 that may be considered here with propriety. It scarcely 

 admits of a doubt, but that many of the difficulties met 

 with in fruit tree culture, as maladies of various sorts, 

 unfruitfulness, etc., are induced by a careless and indis- 

 criminating system of propagation. 



The stock has a most important influence on the health, 

 T longevity, fruitfulness, and symmetry of the tree, and 

 should therefore be propagated nnd selected with due re- 

 gard to its soundness, vigor, and hardiness of constitution. 



If it were possible, seeds, to grow stocks from, whether 

 of the apple, pear, peach, plum, or any other, should be 

 taken only from healthy, vigorous trees, and from perfect, 



