Propagation 



by what is sometimes called .the " serpentine " 

 method i.e., the young shoot is pegged down at 

 more than one place, so as to form a number of 

 plants instead of one as in single layering. (See Fig. 

 26.) This resembles Nature's method of layering 

 strawberries. The best time for layering is, in most 

 cases, just after the plants have finished flowering. 



When a number of young fruit tree stocks are 

 required for grafting and budding, these may be 

 raised in the following manner. Young plants of 

 the broad-leaved paradise apple, quince (for pears), 

 and the common plum (for stone fruits) are pro- 

 cured from a nurseryman, planted 3 feet apart on 

 the fruit plot some time in October, and allowed to 

 stand for about eighteen months ; then in the 

 month of March they are cut down to within 4 or 

 5 inches of the ground-level. This cutting back 

 causes the stock to send out several young shoots, 

 around which the soil is piled as shown in Fig. 28. 



The rooted layers are severed from the parent 

 plant in the following October and planted in a 

 nursery bed, to be used later on for budding and 

 grafting. The old " stool " as the parent plant is 

 called will send up new shoots yearly, thus pro- 

 viding a continuous supply of stocks. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



Strawberries will grow like weeds on suitable soil, 

 but when the land is unsuitable they are somewhat 

 difficult to grow. Very heavy clay soils are most 

 unsuitable and the best soil is a moist loam overlying 

 a gravelly, or other well-drained subsoil. The 

 plants are intolerant of excessive water in winter, but 

 they require a copious supply in the growing season. 



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