Propagation 



WHAT TO BUD. Apples, pears, plums, peaches 

 and cherries, as well as roses, are all propagated by 

 budding, but some knifesmen prefer grafting for 

 apples and pears. It is sometimes possible when a 

 graft fails, to bud one of the young shoots which 

 arise later on from the stock. 



STOCKS. Briar stocks are best for roses. Straight 

 young stems from 4 feet to 8 feet in length may be 

 obtained from the hedgerows in rural districts for 

 standard roses, and stocks for rose bushes may be 

 raised from briar cuttings or briar seedlings. 



Stocks for fruit trees will be the same as for 

 grafting. 



OTHER METHODS OF PROPAGATION. 



i. BY CUTTINGS. Early Autumn is the time to 

 take cuttings of gooseberries, of red, black, -and 

 white currants, and also of roses. 



Well-ripened shoots of the current year's wood 

 should be selected, and the cuttings should be about 

 9 or 10 inches in length when prepared and ready for 

 insertion in the soil. 



The unripe tips of the shoots are first cut away, 

 and then the base of the shoot is cut back. A sharp 

 knife must be used, and each cut is made close to a 

 bud as shown in Fig. 23. 



The whole of the lower half of the cutting is to 

 go beneath the soil and the buds on this lower 

 portion must be removed when it is intended that 

 the plants should not produce suckers. 



Gooseberries, red currants, and white currants 

 are usually grown with a distinct stem, and for this 

 kind of bush only four or five buds will be left on 

 the upper half of the cutting. (See Fig. 24.) 



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