CHAPTER II 



PROPAGATION. 



THE raising of new stocks of trees and shrubs in private gardens is a 

 much neglected branch of horticulture. In many places it is never 

 attempted unless it be in the case of shrubs that can be increased by 

 division, or the pulling to pieces of old stock. Yet there is no more 

 interesting work. 



There are really three methods by which trees and shrubs may be 

 increased : i, by seeds, which is Nature's way ; 2, by taking away part of 

 a plant and enabling it to exist separately, i.e., by division, layers, and 

 cuttings of either stem or root ; 3, by taking part of one plant and joining 

 it to another already possessing a root system of its own, i.e., by grafting 

 or budding. 



The raising of new healthy trees is undoubtedly best accomplished 

 with but few exceptions by means of seeds, and especially is this the case 

 for conifers? timber trees, and long-lived trees generally. For shrubs that 

 have a low-branching system and renew themselves continually by new 

 basal growth, cuttings and layers in most instances are quite as good. 

 Seeds cannot be relied on to perpetuate varieties that have originated from 

 branch sports, such as those with coloured or abnormally shaped leaves ; 

 and only partially can they be relied on to reproduce aberrant forms of 

 seedling origin like fastigiate or weeping trees, dwarfs, and such like. 

 Seeds from such trees usually reproduce few or perhaps none of the 

 abnormal form that bore them, the majority reverting wholly or in part 

 to the normal type. Thus very few weeping or fastigiate varieties of 

 trees are found in Nature. Excepting those like Lombardy poplars and 

 willows, which may increase by pieces of branch broken off by wind, 

 etc., and take root on the ground, they exist only as individuals. Civilised 

 man propagates them artificially for his use and pleasure, otherwise they 

 would disappear. On the whole, if fine, clean-grown, healthy, long-lived 

 trees are desired they should be raised from seed. Still, there are other 

 factors to be considered. Many foreign trees do not bear seed in this 

 country until they are old, often not then, so other means must be 



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