weeks when taken July 15. Similarly, cuttings treated with Hormodin No. 1 

 or No. 2 rooted 96 percent in 9 weeks if taken July 1, not more than 64 percent 

 in 15 weeks if taken July 15. The resulting differences between the first (July 1) 

 and second (July 8) experiments and between the second and third (July 15) 

 experiments were smaller but for the most part tended in the same direction, 

 with better results when cuttings were taken earlier. It appears from this that 

 the best time to take softwood cuttings of high-bush blueberry is not later than 

 two to three weeks before the first fruit ripens. Taken then, there was excellent 

 rooting of untreated cuttings, although they rooted more slowly than some of 

 the treated. Cuttings taken later may root slowly and poorly without treatment 

 but, as will be seen, they can be induced to root well and quickly in sand-peat 

 if given certain treatments. 



In almost every case, rooting was more rapid, root systems were superior, or 

 total percentages rooted were greater in sand-peat than in sand. This was true 

 in five out of six comparisons in the first experiment, three out of three in the 

 second, and seven out of eight in the third. Only in the last experiment, which 

 was begun on July 15 when cuttings were too old or hard for best results in 

 either medium, did untreated cuttings root better in sand than in sand-peat. 

 Sand-peat is plainly to be preferred; and because of the usually inferior rooting 

 in sand, there is even more need for the chemical treatment of cuttings in it than 

 in sand-peat. 



Different rooting media require different chemical treatments of cuttings for 

 best results. Cuttings were usually more susceptible to chemical injury by a 

 root-inducing substance in sand-peat than in sand. Injury, if it occurred, was 

 manifested as a breakdown of tissue at the base of the cutting and a lower per- 

 centage of cuttings rooting. Treatments injurious to cuttings in sand-peat but 

 not to those in sand were Hormodin No. 3, naphthaleneacetic acid 25 milligrams 

 per liter of water for 22 hours, indolebutyric acid 50 mg./l., 22 hours, and b- 

 naphthoxyacetic acid 25 mg./l., 20 hours. Although there are several treatments 

 which are both safe and effective in sand-peat, root-inducing substances should 

 be used with more caution if sand-peat is to be the rooting medium than if 

 sand is to be used. 



It is fortunate, therefore, that cuttings which are to go into sand-peat do not 

 require treatment with as high concentrations, or for so long a time, as do cut- 

 ings in sand. Treatments were, in general, of more benefit to cuttings in sand- 

 peat than to those in sand. Treatments which hastened or improved the rooting 

 of cuttings in sand-peat but not in sand included Hormodin No. 1 and naphtha- 

 leneacetic acid 50 mg./l., 5 hours, in the first experiment; a-naphthaleneacetamide 

 4 milligrams per gram of talc in the second; Hormodin No. 2, potassium indole- 

 butyrate 100 mg./l., 5 hours, indolepropionic acid 25 mg./l., 20 hours, and a- 

 naphthaleneacetamide 4 mg./gm. talc in the third. 



Certain treatments were either harmful or of relatively no benefit and are, 

 therefore, not listed in the tables. Monobasic potassium phosphate, 0.5 percent 

 solution, 19 hours, caused injury in both sand and sand-peat. Manganese 

 sulphate 0.5 percent solution, 19 hours, was injurious in sand-peat and relatively 

 ineffective in sand. Combination treatments consisting of naphthaleneacetic 

 acid 50 mg./l., 5 hours, followed by a Hormodin gave results no better than or 

 inferior to Hormodin No. 1 or No. 2 used alone. Similarly, treatment with 

 indolebutyric acid 100 mg./l., 5 hours, followed by treatment with Hormodin 

 No. 1 gave results no better or less good than did Hormodin No. 1 alone. Used 

 together, indolebutyric acid 25 mg./l., and naphthaleneacetic acid 12.5 mg./l., 

 19 hours, hastened rooting no more than did either alone. 



