CHAPTER III 

 PROPAGATING TREES AND SHRUBS 



THEBE are several methods of propagating trees and shrubs : 

 such as by seed-sowing, from cuttings or layers, and by 

 budding and grafting. 



From Seed. This natural process of reproduction is 

 that most commonly adopted where large numbers of trees 

 are required indeed, certain species, particularly of the 

 Coniferae, cannot successfully be raised in any other way. 

 The preparation of the seed-beds is a point that deserves 

 far more attention than it usually receives, and that not only 

 on economic grounds, but in view of the general appearance 

 of the nursery borders as well. To tumble the seeds in- 

 discriminately into the ground as if they had fallen in 

 showers from the trees is highly objectionable ; and just 

 as censurable is the too-oft-repeated practice of sowing 

 these in rough, cloddy, and ill-prepared ground. 



Systematic arrangement in the laying-out of the beds, as 

 to the number and requirements of the future seedlings, 

 should also be attended to. 



The ground intended for seed-beds should be trenched 

 or deeply dug up ; but this operation would, for the 

 mellowing and cleaning of the soil, be better performed 

 the autumn before than at the time of sowing down. * 



In any case, just before sowing, the ground should be 

 carefully turned over, all hard clods being broken down, and 

 large stones raked off, the surface soil to the depth of 3 in. 

 or 4 in. being made as fine as possible. Dry weather must 

 be chosen for the formation of seed-beds, as also, indeed, for 

 the sowing of the seeds. The beds are marked off and 

 prepared as follows : A light, strong line is stretched along 



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