350 POMOLOGY 



but a brief review of budding and grafting of fruit-trees is 

 germane to the general treatment. 



Layerage. — Layerage consists in taking advantage of the 

 habit of certain plants to throw out roots from decumbent 

 shoots and runners. Portions of the stems or branches are 

 artificially placed in contact with the ground, either by fasten- 

 ing them on the surface or by covering with soil. Fruit-trees 

 are not propagated in this way with the exception of a few 

 by what is known as "mound-layering." On the other hand, 

 strawberries, grapes, raspberries, gooseberries, and many 

 ornamentals are propagated by different forms of layerage. 



314. Mound-layerage is so termed because the soil 

 is mounded about the base of shrubs or other plants which 

 will throw out roots from the stems when in contact with 

 the soil. The several rooted portions are then severed from 

 the mother plant and thus begin an independent existence. 

 The quince, gooseberry, and several forms of the Paradise 

 apple arc propagated in this way. 



315. Cuttings. — ^None of the commonly grown tree- 

 fruits is propagated by means of stem-cuttings, with the 

 exception of quinces which are handled to some extent in 

 this way. A number of attempts have been made to prop- 

 agate the apple by cuttings but none has as yet succeeded, 

 although they may be rooted from the cion by the nurse-root 

 method as previously described. The apple cuttings will 

 frequently form a callus, but such activity does not favor 

 root development. Plums (Marianna) are occasionally 

 grown from cuttings as are also the quince and persimmon. 

 The grape and currant are most commonly propagated by 

 means of cuttings. Climate exerts considerable influence on 

 the tendency of plants to develop from cuttings, the moist 

 warm southern sections being much the more favorable. 

 Root-cuttings are commonly used in propagating such fruits 

 as have a natural tendency to sucker or send up shoots from 



