136 THE NURSERY. 



them is to take the yearling seedlings, whip-graft them 

 on the collar, and set them out at once in the nursery 

 rows ; they will make good trees for planting out in three 

 years. The stock is all below the surface of the ground, 

 and, in time, the graft sends out roots, and becomes, in a 

 great measure, independent of the stock. Where the 

 seedlings are not large enough for grafting the first sea- 

 son, they may be set out in the nursery, and allowed to 

 grow one season, and then the earth can be removed from 

 the collar until the graft is inserted, and then drawn up. 

 This we find, by later experience, the better method, and 

 practice it exclusively. To procure strong stocks for 

 standard trees, of weak-growing sorts, like the G-reen 

 Gage, such thrifty varieties as the Imperial Gage and 

 Smithes Orleans may be grafted on this native species, 

 and in two or three years they will make stocks strong 

 enough for any purpose. The French use several natural 

 species that are produced from seed the St. Julien, 

 large and small (Brussels of the English), and the Damas 

 noir, large and small. The first is generally used for 

 stocks for apricots and peaches as well as plums. We 

 find none of these superior in vigor to the horse plum, 

 but they are worked more successfully. In England, the 

 Brussels, Brompton, and Muscle stocks are used, propa- 

 gated from both seeds and layers. For small-sized gar- 

 den trees, either dwarf standards or pyramids, the cherry 

 plum, " Myrobolan " of the French catalogues, makes a 

 very good stock. 



It is a natural species, and can, therefore, be produced 

 true from seed. It maintains a vigorous growth all sum- 

 mer, and may be worked in July, August, or September. 

 It may also be propagated from layers. 



The Sloe is also used to some extent where very small 

 trees are wanted ; and we have no doubt some native spe- 

 cies, as, for instance, the Beach and Chickasaw plums, which 

 are small trees, will make good dwarf stocks. Handsome 



