PROPAGATION BY BUDS LAYERAGE 



6 9 



plants either to transplant or to hear fruit. In field practice no such 

 care as this is taken, the plants being allowed to root freely within 

 the limits of the matted or hedgerow width. As in all other asexual 

 methods of propagation, runners produce the same variety as the 

 parent plants from which they are formed. 



103. Eapid strawberry propagation. C. Gazeau, a French in- 

 vestigator, claims that strawberries may be rapidly propagated 

 thus : 



FIG. 60 STRAWBERRY PLANTS READY FOR SETTING 



1. Potted runner plant three weeks after taking root. 2. Plant typical of those 

 used in spring setting. This has grown naturally in the field. 3. Same plant as 

 in 1 with earth washed off, compared with plant of same age but not potted. 



When the runners first develop terminal buds with rosettes of 

 leaves, they are layered with only the leaves exposed. Thus they 

 are protected from accidents and the weather and are in most favor- 

 able conditions for rooting. In about two weeks roots will have 

 formed and the runners extended. These extensions may be rooted 

 similarly and the operation repeatec six 01 eight or even more times. 

 Mother plants of te i develop six or eight runners, so this would mean 

 36 to 48 plants thus far. But the first rooted layers will also de- 

 velop secondary runners soon after the primary ones have struck root 

 and these secondary runners may be treated like the primary ones. 

 Thus the number of plants would be limited almost wholly by the 

 season, the efforts of the propagator and the space at command. 

 But then the terminal buds may be used for making cuttings as soon 



