372 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 260 



The skips in the above table are within reason except perhaps in the 

 crowns cut in quarters. In this lot the number of skips is greater than 

 usual. The size of the roots from the cuttings compares very favorably 

 with the whole roots. Some of the roots from the cuttings were fully 

 as large as the roots from the uncut crowns. 



Due to the distribution and variation in size of buds on the crowns, 

 it is impossible to make divisions so that each section from the same 

 crown will have buds of equal size. The first buds developed on a 

 seedling crown are much smaller than those developed late in the growing 

 season. The small buds left over from the early seasonal growth are more 

 or less dormant and will not produce as large a root growth as the 

 sections having the larger buds that were developed late in the growing 

 season. However, the potentialities for large root development are prob- 

 ably uniform for all the sections coming from the same root. The size 

 of the buds on the cuttings is not necessarily correlated with the size of 

 the stalks that follow. The size of the stalk is determined by the amount 

 of stored food reserves in the roots attached to the section of the crown 

 planted. The stalk may, therefore, be much smaller in diameter than 

 the bud from which it came. The distribution of the buds on the crown 

 determines where the crown may be divided, and thus the number of roots 

 to the section is determined before the cutting is made. The plants that 

 die may be accounted for by the section of the crown that they represent. 



This method of propagation is feasible and applicable to commercial 

 conditions. By this method it is possible to grow seedlings properly spaced, 

 select 1,000 of the best out of every 10,000 roots, and increase these by 

 crown cuttings to 3,000 or 5,000. 



Vomparison of Size ■■of Roiots.- — A comparison between 100 two-year roots. 

 100 selected one-year roots, and 100 cull roots gave an average of 6.7 

 stalks per plant for the two-year-old roots, and 7.4 stalks for the selected 

 one-year roots. The same number of skips, 3 per cent, was counted in each 

 plot. In the plot of 100 cull roots the number of stalks per plant was 5.4, 

 Vi'ith 20 per cent skips. There was a big difference in height of stallks 

 between the cull and selected one-year roots in favor of the selected roots. 

 The two-year roots produced stalks slightly higher than the selected one- 

 year roots. 



Stem Cuttings. — An attempt was made to make stem cuttings on one 

 and five-year-old plants. Cuttings were made from the stems below the 

 branches having dormant buds and from the spears which had not broken 

 open. These cuttings were grouped in four series, subjected to the fol- 

 lowing treatments, and placed in moist, sterile sand in a propagating 

 frame. 



Series I — Lot 1 immersed one hour in 3.8 per cent nitrate of soda solu- 

 tion; lot 2 immersed one hour in 1 per cent sodium thiocyanate 

 solution; lot 3 immersed one hour in 3.8 per cent nitrate of soda 

 solution plus 1 per cent corrosive sublimate solution; lot 4, 

 check. 



Series II — The time was increased to 2^/^ hours. 



Series III — The same as Series II but the cut ends were sealed with low 

 temperature paraffine- 



Series IV- — Immersed 6V2 hours. 



